Messanger of the Caribbean
by RenegadeNinja
Summary: "I told you to die slow." he reminded me as he pulled me up.  "yeah, I remembered. And by the way, dying slow hurts like hell."
1. Part I

((I don't own POTC, some creatures were adapted to my liking but I don't own them either. Bella the OC and the Heart of the Black Pearl pendant are my original ideas, so those are mine.))

**Part I : the messenger**

**1. **The ghost ship.

Light swayed above me. Rippled, twirled, swirled and surged, catching strands of my dark brown curls that floated freely and toying with them in the current. Light through the water is so pretty, if your beneath the surface, looking up, it all seems so beautiful. All that pretty light, tinted with color from being filtered through water and shining brightly on bubbles as they rise. I had loved that sight all my life, I always loved the water. The sea, the pure open freedom of it all.

But, knowing this sight for all of my life I knew how the light changed when you got further down and at this moment I'm under the impression that I'm at least several feet under and still sinking, and normally its not a problem.

It's not a problem because I'm a good swimmer, in fact, I'm an excellent swimmer. But right now, it's a problem. Because no matter how great a swimmer I am, that talent is tragically diminished when your hands are bound and there's debris all around you.

I floundered to the left as a barrel sank to my right, nearly crashing into me. My struggles were getting weaker as the minutes passed and I just kept sinking. My foot struck something and kicked off it, rising a little before continuing the slow decent into the blue-green abyss. Great, my luck is just amazing isn't it.

The water heaved and surged as something large and heavy crashed into the sea, probably a mast, from the displacement I felt. I kicked up again from another piece of ship debris and rose just high enough to find another object to kick off of. A shadow passed overhead as broken pieces of the ship floated across the surface. Not good, If they were above me I couldn't break the surface and my poor exhausted body couldn't take anymore not breathing. Bubbles plumed up as I let out my breath, unable to hold it in any more, and I struggled with another desperate kick and rose just as the plank above me drifted past. It was barely enough, but I managed to break the surface only to breath too soon, I inhaled the salty water, sputtered and sank. In the filtered light above me I caught glimpse of the shadow of a ship a mere moment before my eyes went to darkness. At that distortion, I thought it was an illusion.

/

Cool fresh water poured down my aching throat making me gasp and cough, taking a deep breath I relaxed as I felt oxygen bring relief to my lungs when a rough hand pushed me back down onto the bunk.

"easy there." a gruff voice growled.

I groaned at the soreness of my muscles and tried to sit up again on shaky arms, and again I was pushed back down. Now that my senses were coming back, I could feel a cold sheen of sweat coating my deeply tanned skin. My dark brown curls were damp and stuck to my face. My stomach was throbbing with pain, and my leg felt the same. The pain contrasted the numbness in my bones and made me feel weak. I had definitely screwed up this time.

"you'll want to stay lying down, miss, you've got a couple nasty wounds." the gravelly voice informed me. My blurry eyesight finally started to clear and I got a good look at him. His face was slightly gaunt, and he had dark, thin curled hair held under a black bandana. His dark, beady eyes stood in stark contrast against his pale face. over simple cloths he wore a long, dark brown duster and a knife was sheathed at his belt. A pirate. Better for me than a navy officer.

I glanced about the cabin and found nothing of interest. The room was bare wood walls and flooring, a few bunks lined the area with hammocks strung between them, and a few shelves cluttered with small items had been nailed to the walls. Oddly enough, the room seemed damp and small bits of moss or algae could be seen in the cracks and on bunk-post's. nothing stood out except the fact that I noticed I had been stripped down to my undergarments and my bloody cloths lay on top of a nearby table, along with a pile of bandages. Speaking of bandages, I had quite a lot of them wrapped around my stomach and left leg and I briefly remembered scraping my legs as I shimmied out of the brig and hitting some of the debris as I dived off the sinking ship and into the water, the injuries definitely hadn't been as painful then. Then again, when you have other things to worry about, injuries never are.

I turned my amber gaze back to the man.

"who are you?"

"Bill Turner. We found you afloat in the sea, almost took you for dead."

"glad you didn't, or I would be. Where are we?"

"aboard the Flying Dutchman ."

"I thought you said I wasn't dead?"

"you aren't"

"which Flying Dutchman? Last I heard only the dead could stand aboard the flying Dutchman."

"you have the Captains deal, you'll owe him a boon for this."

"great…just great, I owe something to Davy Jones." I muttered.

"Davy Jones is no longer the Captain of this ship."

"then who would be captain?"

"William Turner." a much younger voice replied from the door. I turned to see it's owner. He was a handsome man, with a tall, good build, broad shoulders, long, lean legs and slightly elfish features, and some resemblance to the older fellow next to my bunk. Odd. Not what you expect from the captain of the Flying Dutchman. I mean, you could almost call this guy beautiful, if it weren't for the cold expression in his dark honey colored eyes that didn't match the smile on his face.

" Good to see you awake, Miss….?"

"why the bloody hell would ye take Davy Jones place, ye look rather young to have been wantin' immortality, at such a price."

"It was the only way to save his life." Bill Turner replied, his voice grave and serious. I don't know what it was about the man, he just made you feel….I don't know quite how to describe it. It was a cold feeling, but a familiar one.

"ah, so how long had Davy been dead?"

"nearly two years now."

"hmph, no ones said anything about a change in captains aboard this ship, they all still refer to it as Davy Jones'. anyway, from stories tell I woulda figured it'd be Jack Sparrow to take Davy's place."

"he tried. Unfortunately he's a good man." William answered me this time.

"yeah, try tellin' him that. My name's…Bella."

"unusual name."

"I'm an …unusual person."

"well, what's an unusual person such as yourself doing with hands bound and sinking so far out in open water?" Will still hadn't moved from his place by the door, he just stood there, leaning against the wall and looking down at me.

"it-it's an occupational hazard."

"your occupation being?"

"all sorts of things not becoming of a lady."

"you a pirate?"

"of sorts"

He gave me a look of … it was almost indecision.

"how tall are you?" I asked him. He looked rather taken aback by the question, and for the first time, that hard glint left his eyes.

"never mind, do you have cloths that would fit me?"

Bill turner chuckled quietly as Will went to find me something to replace my bloodied clothing. I gave him a quizzical look before turning my attention to my roughly-done bandages. I un-wrapped the top layer only enough to shift and re-tie them more comfortably, then moved on to do the same with my leg.

"sorry bout that, these hands ain't made for gentle work." For being as gravelly as Bill Turners voice was, it was oddly quiet when he spoke.

"I don't mind, it was done well enough to keep me from bleedin' to death, for that I'm grateful." I had meant the words to sound sincere, but I don't think I achieved that affect through my gritted teeth as I shifted the bandaging. That simple effort let me feel just how bruised my body really was, my joints ached and my stomach churned, my throat didn't help the latter feeling either, as raw as it felt. I sighed and tried stretching out, one limb at a time.

A rapid knock sounded at the door and without hesitation a crewman walked in with a bundle of cloths, allowing his rudeness to be forgiven without a sound.

"Cap'n asked me to bring these for our guest."

Bill nodded and the man left, leaving the cloths on the table.

"now, if you don't mind..." I gestured towards the door and myself, and being cleverer than a fish he got the meaning and left the cabin while I changed.

/

Once dressed in a thin white tunic, brown breeches, my own boots and belt and a bandana to hold back my wild curls, I limped around till I found the creaky passage to the deck and took in a grateful breath of fresh sea air. Just before getting pushed out of the way by an irritated crewman for hanging about in his way too long. The ship swayed with the ocean and creaked as she went, water sloshing up against the sides as she broke through the waves. I could hear the hustle and bustle of the crew as the went about securing lines, running supplies and washing the deck and railing. Just like any ship. Out in the bright sunlight I could see nothing but the ship, as startling as it was, blue sky and clear open blue-green Caribbean sea.

Odd. It seemed….normal, and not, at the exact same time, it was normal, it just felt different than it should. This ship seemed wrong, the ship and the crew, they seemed like the clear reality of a fading era. They were the embodiment of it, a ship of the dead sailing the world of the living.

I found my way up to the helm, dodging a few crew members and a stray canon, to find Will.

"Captain." I addressed him and he seemed to shake out of a daze that he'd been in. Even will seemed wrong and I had to remind myself that he _was_ missing a heart.

"hmm, yes?" the words were an average reaction, but he seemed sad. Lost.

"mortals aren't allowed in the netherworld."

He looked confused for a moment, so I elaborated.

"I'm mortal, how am I in the netherworld?"

"your not."

"then…why not? Aren't you supposed to be ferrying souls?"

"right now I'm ferrying a certain mortal to Tortuga. Unless there's a problem with that?"

I pondered his logic, and deciding he was in the right, I went against it.

" I could just stay on the ship…I'm waiting to cross paths with a certain other mortal myself, he tends to get mixed up in unusual things."

"you'd have a better chance in Tortuga, besides, I've enough crew already."

"Seen that for myself. It just….holds a certain allure, doesn't it? Sailing on the Flying Dutchman…on strange waters…such a legendary ship..."

He gave me a hard stare, and, a little affronted, I turned back towards the railing. The rough would was worn smooth from decades of sailing, discolored and battered. I stared at it and longed to see a different railing, a darker one with about as much wear and tear.

"How are you going to make port in Tortuga?" I asked.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." he sighed.

"thought so. I'm taking a swim aren't I?"

"aye."

"wonderful."

I watched the waves sway across that blue-green surface soothingly. The sea was always the same and yet always new. You could never see a wave twice. Never the exact same.

"so whose your lady love?"

"excuse me?"

"Mister Turner, I've been around men enough to learn a few things. Whose the girl who got your heart?" literally and figuratively, by the look of him.

"….Elizabeth….."

"is she pretty?" I turned once more to watch him.

"beautiful…" he leaned against the wheel, a far away look falling over his face, and again I saw that rare moment when his eyes warmed up and softened.

"and she loves you back?"

"I'll assume that's why she married me…"

"Oh, your married….hm…lucky girl…"

"lucky me…." his voice was so sad, it almost hurt.

"not really…. Ye only get to see her one day of every ten years. Such a price." it seemed cruel and horrible to me now, and yet he endured it. How could he possible endure it?

"it depends on the one day."

"you'll have gone two years without seeing her now. Are you still happy with your decision?"

"yes. Elizabeth said I have a son….he'll be a little older than a year now …and Elizabeth….I may be stuck on this ship for ten years at a time….but I'd do it for an eternity for them, just to see them…it's worth it. Compared to the alternative." Compared to death. He would endure this torture to see them for a single day rather than never see them at all. I had to admire the mans resolve. Admire and envy it.

"oh you are love struck aren't you?" I laughed, or tried to.

"yeah….why am I telling you this?" the soft light left his eyes and the cold creeped back in.

"it entertains me, by the way, we've been going a bit off course due to your lack of steering."

"quit distracting me then." he snapped.

"please, I was just striking up a conversation, ye distracted yourself."

He shot a funny look my way before returning his attention to steering the ship.

"your father said I'd owe you a boon? I could find your family and give them word, would you take it as even?"

The look in his eyes then could have killed me. So that's what his love is.

"Captain! Land ho!" a crewman shouted from below.

I looked to the horizon to see the murky shadow that was apparently land.

"this ship's fast." I remarked in surprise.

"it's legendary, it's suppose to be fast isn't it?" he answered quietly.

"aye, I suppose your right." I mused.

"as we seem to be nearing our destination, how far can you swim?"

**2. **Tortuga.

I jumped out of the way as a bottle smashed into the wall near my head as I made my way to the bar. I dodged through the crowd of drunks, dancers, prostitutes, and others as I attempted to reach the bar in hopes of relieving my empty stomach.

"watch it! Ye' damn drunkards!" I shouted over the brawlers as a stray elbow caught me in the side, my voice easily lost under the boisterous noise of the pub.

I ducked under a ledge as someone was thrown off the balcony above and clutched the bottle under my coat.

Will had written a letter to his family and placed it in an old rum bottle, sealing it with wax so the thing wouldn't get wet. It was my job to deliver the bottle to miss Elizabeth Turner, along with her husbands love.

It was by unknown fault that he had failed to mention where his family lived. So for now, all I could do was eat and avoid the brawl amassing behind me.

"are ye' gonna be wantin' somthin' there darlin'?" the bartender asked, he was a chubby man with excessive amounts of facial and body hair and doing to much leering for his own good, but at that moment, I didn't care much.

"Rum and somthin' to eat, if you have it." I tossed a few coins on the counter and scanned the rest of my immediate area. More filth coated drunks and a few well adorned ladies of questionable taste packed the area, shouting, groping, throwing punches, dancing, drinking, screaming and laughing.

Ah, Tortuga, it's been awhile. So many memories here. It never changes. different people, different times, yes, but the atmosphere was still the same as it had always been.

My rum and food arrived and my thoughts quickly turned to simpler matters, such as my empty stomach.

/

You can get just about anything in Tortuga. A ship, a crew, forgeries, stolen goods, information, anything, as long as your not picky about it's condition or exactly were it came from. What you can't find in Tortuga is a quiet place to sleep. Tortuga has no understanding of the word quiet. The 'quietest' place here is the docks, so that's were I headed. After all, no use starting journey without a good nights rest, or something similar.

The creak and sway of boats and the quiet disturbance of the water was soothing when compared to the roaring clashes of noise in the town. A couple laughed and giggled as they hurried off to some place quiet of their own, though I doubted they'd be sleeping, and a couple of pickpockets compared the days spoils under a nearby lantern. I walked on, the chill clinging to me and caching my breath as it rose. I studied the ships as I passed them, grading them as I went.

" 'ello miss." a filthy dockhand greeted me, register in hand. I guess fate had other plans than allowing me to sleep, after all, this was a prime opportunity to get started.

"Hello, could ye help me with somethin' ?"

"d'pends, are ye' lookin' fer a sp'ific ship?"

"no, it's no ship I'm lookin' for."

"then what would ye' be search's fer' , miss?"

"a name I may find on that list there." I gestured to his register, pulling a coin from my pocket as I did so.

"an' tis' name w'ld be?"

"nothin' you need to know." I traded him the coin for the book and flipped through the pages. The person in whom I was looking for would not have his name on a list, but someone who would know his whereabouts might be.

I mumbled to myself and found a few names of interest, but not quite what I was looking for. Oh well, at least it might entertain me for a little while, she was always a good person to see. I slammed the book closed and traded the man his(my) coin for the book once more and headed back into town.

/

"She won't see me?"

"not without yer name."

"tell her 'the bells are ringing'."

The crewman ran off again, lost from view in the crowd of the inn. The smell of smoke, rum, cheap perfume and sweat hung in the air, and the playful tunes of the band danced through the smog and was accompanied by drunken singing and the shuffle of dancers feet. The Inn was even rowdier than the pub, with a little less fighting but a lot more bad dancing and an equal amount of drunks. I took a swig of rum(my favorite) and subconsciously touched the pendant around my neck just before the crewman came running back on his stubby little legs.

"she'llseeyouimmediately, she'supstairs, I'llleadtheway." he spat the words out so fast I was lucky to understand them. I just nodded and followed as he took me to the upper area, which was filled with tables for the less active guests, mainly those who made shady deals and couples deeply engaged with each other. Scanning the room I spotted her in the far corner, sitting proud and confident as always, Anamaria. Firelight danced of her dark skin and raven hair, and her keen eyes found mine quickly, a wary amusement in their depths. Just like always.

**3. **Unpaid favors.

"ye needed help?" she asked, her voice low and smooth.

"you remembered." I beamed.

"who would forget something as idiotic as that. Although, I admit, at that time it was rather clever."

"yes it was. Now to business," she lifted her head to look me in the eye at the mention of business. If Anamaria was anything, she was straightforward.

"and business would be?"

"Jack."

"as always."

"as always." I agreed.

"what particular aspect of Jack would business be this time?"

"Jacks missing."

"and ye've taken it upon yourself to find him have you?"

"no. I have a message to deliver to him. Lately I seem to be everyone's messenger."

"who would be sending Jack messages?"

"that's irrelevant. Point is, no one has seen Jack in awhile, so how do I find him?"

"find Davy Jones, he may know."

Of course, why the hell didn't I ask Will? I groaned.

"forgot to ask him."

"you met Davy Jones?"

"no. who might know where Jack is?"

"last I heard, he was heading for the fountain of youth."

"Jack wants immortality." it was a statement, not a question.

"aye."

"great, so in order to find Jack, I have to find the fountain of youth?"

"that going to be hard since Jack has the map."

" why am I never given easy tasks?" again, rhetorical.

"yer own bad luck."

"yeah." my horrible always present bad luck.

"why are you delivering this message in the first place?"

"I owe unpaid favors. And I gave him my promise."

"gave who?"

" ye don't need to know."

"then why the hell did you seek me out?"

"because you were there to be sought."

"you are the only person who can annoy me as much as Jack."

"of course, that's what I'm here for."

"I hate you."

"love you too, Anamaria."

"so what now?"

"I need you to take me to open water and let me kill someone."

"who would ye be killing?"

"doesn't matter, as long as they die there."

"can I ask why?"

"that's the only way to summon Will turner."

"Summon who?"

"never mind, can ye do this for me or not?"

"fine" she sighed. "when?"

" tomorrow night would be good."

"you'll owe me."

"no I won't. last I checked, ye had some unpaid favors of your own."

"trust you to remember."

"always."

I love my conversations with Anamaria, brief and to the point, she always entertains me so much.

**4. **Things needed doing.

Pale moonlight gleamed off the dark ocean, giving light in an otherwise black night. It bathed the deck and sails and reflected wickedly off my dagger as I held it beneath some drunken oafs throat. Lucky for him, he was dead drunk and wouldn't feel a thing. A chill night breeze tugged my dark curls away from my face and the only sounds were my own heartbeat, the drunks ragged breathing, and the smooth sway of the ocean beneath us.

"you don't need to be doing that, Bella." His voice was cold, unkind.

I turned slowly to face an angry and sinister looking Will Turner.

"didn't know how else to call you." I smiled politely.

"I didn't take you to be cruel." he murmured.

"me? Cruel? I'm not cruel, Will, I'm cold, I do what needs to be done, and right now I have things that need doing."

"like murder?" he spat.

"well, now that you're here there is no need to kill him, is there?" I snapped back.

"what did you want then?" He asked, angry. The angles of his face were sharp in the silver light, making his eyes darken and his face pale. He looked now like the captain of the Flying Dutchman, he looked malevolent and eerie. For the first time while looking at William Turner, I felt the cold claws of fear grip me in my core and I shivered involuntarily.

" I need two locations from you, first, ye failed to mention where your family lived."

"Elizabeth has taken residence in a small village near Singapore. The second location?" he asked stiffly.

"I need to find Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"so ye do know him?"

"unfortunately."

"no, no, anyone who meets Jack is rather fortunate, that man is one of a kind, a dying breed, as it were. Then again, we're amongst the dying breed, aren't we?"

" I happen to rather dislike Jack at the moment, why do you need to find him?"

"I have a message to deliver."

"are you everyone's messenger?" his anger faded slowly and he retained his aloof manner.

"apparently, do you know where he is or not?"

"I do believe he is still at war with Barbossa over the _Black Pearl._ Both of them want the ship so they can beat the other to the Fountain of Youth."

"of course they're both after immortality. You know, for as similar as their goals are all the time, you'd think they'd be friends."

"pirates."

"yeah, lovely bunch aren't we?"

He nodded in agreement, the corner of his mouth turned up in an amused smirk.

"so were exactly be the _Black Pearl _?"

"somewhere around the Devils triangle."

" the Devils triangle?" I whined in alarm.

"of course, who else would go there?"

"None but Jack." I sighed.

He chuckled darkly and started to walk away, into the deep shadows cast around us.

"wait, any advise? Words of wisdom?"

"hmm….for you? Die slow." And he thought I was cruel.

"what in the name of Davy Jones is that suppose to mean?"

My only reply was his echoing laughter as he melted into the shadows and disappeared.

I learned then that it's best to stay on the good side of Captain William Turner.

I left the drunk to lay were he fell and quietly slipped down to the Captains quarters, letting myself in.

Anamaria sat at a small table, a book in hand. The Cabin was filled with extravagant things such as rare jewelry, exotic furs, strange clothing, expensive chairs and fine works of art. Anamaria definitely had an eye for things, and like any pirate, she took what that eye tended to fall upon. As a thief myself, I had to admire her handiwork.

"so, did ye get what ye needed?" she asked without looking up.

"sort of."

"sort of? I've never seen you do something half-heartedly."

"Jacks in the Devils triangle."

"I am not helping you get there."

"thanks so much for the support." I remarked sarcastically, pulling a chair up to the table for myself.

"I mean it, I'm not risking me ship and me crew."

"no…I have to go to Singapore first."

"I can get ye to Singapore."

"it would be appreciated."

"will it pay off me unpaid favors?"

"aye…I suppose." I sighed.

"well ,don't get all excited now." she commented dryly.

"why does Jack have to be so far away right now?"

"he's Jack."

"yeah, well Jack needs to remember why he became a pirate lord." I growled.

"what?"

"nothing'. just nothing'"

"if ye say so."

"I do."

And that was the final word on the matter.

**5. **The storm.

"Hold it steady men!" Anamaria yelled, the sheer force of the winds tearing her voice away. The raging sea gave no mercy as it crashed wave upon wave onto the deck, thunder booming above up. The sea spray was so thick I could hardly sea half the crew, salt water soaked everything and everyone, chilling me to my bones and weighing me down.

Crack!

Lightning lit the sky and bathed the ship in eerie grey light. The ropes slipped from my hands and slithered across the wooden planks.

"thrice damned over!" I screeched, diving for it. I caught it and attempted yet again to secure the line. My wet fingers slipped over the coarse rope, the numbness making my fingers fumble as I went about the task.

"hold on!" the call came just before the crash, as another frigid sheet of water rose and fell upon us, threatening to sweep men overboard and into the icy sea. I slipped from my place near the mast and was swept across deck, cursing everything I could think of as I slid towards the side. Finally my foot caught under me and I grappled for the rigging as I was nearly thrown overboard. I caught the rigging just in time and swung around, unfortunately, while I hadn't slipped to the icy water below, I was still hanging on the outer edge of the ship. I dug my hands through the netting and tangled my feet into it as well. Then I hung on for dear life itself. The cold water battered against my already frozen body for hours on end, my hands throbbed from the effort of clenching them around the course rope. But I held on. Listening to the booming of the thunder and the crack of the lightning and the crashing of the waves and the shouts of men. I couldn't help it. The feeling bubbled up inside and I couldn't stop it. I laughed. I clung there to the side of Anamaria's ship and laughed through the storm. Through the howling of the wind and raging of the sea and roaring of the storm and the spitting of the rain, I laughed like a madman. Some would say that I was.

/

The storm calmed just before morning, as the pale grey light on the horizon slowly faded to a pale blue and chased the dark curtain of night away from the pristine sky. The twinkling of stars slowly waved there last rays goodbye and disappeared into the calm morning.

"where the bloody blazes be Bella?" Anamaria shouted over the deck.

"here!" I called, my voice hoarse and strained.

I heard the clip of her boots across the deck as she made her way to my call.

"having fun, luv?" she asked, her large hat flopping over and shading her face as her hair fell to her shoulders when she looked down at me and my predicament.

"I'm bloody lucky to have caught the side and not met a watery end. Help me up."

"how long ye been there?"

"how long have ye ben hearin' me insane laughter?" I grinned.

"you're a crazy one, Bella." she grunted as she heaved my water-logged ass onboard.

"thank you."

She barked with laughter and turned back to the helm.

"we should reach Singapore 'marrow eve. Rest up, Bella."

"aye"

" Loose the sails, we have the wind on our side, move it ye filthy dogs!" she shouted orders to the crew.

I limped across deck to the captains quarters and let myself inside. Stripping off my salt-soaked cloths and tugging my boots off my feet. My hands were callused and cracked, pain steadily burning through my palms. With a well earned sigh I let myself fall onto Anamaria's bed, asleep by the time I hit the mattress.


	2. Part II

**Part II : the King of pirates**

**1**. The rings.

I stretched slowly and sat up, dim light drifted in through the window, casting faint shadows across Anamaria's 'collection'. something gold glinted at me from the table. Now, to be a pirate it requires certain aspects, such as an obsession with treasure. I definitely have an obsession with treasure. Light I my feet I hurried to the table to find a bowl full of small pieces of gold jewelry. I started puling out rings and trying them on. The first one was a thing gold band with two mermaids engraved upon it, I slipped it on. Pretty, but not my style, pulling it out I dropped it back in the bowl. After a few minute and several more rings I had already come up with three that I kept. The first, was a thicker gold band, plain, but with a small white opal set in it, that one now had a place on the middle finger of my right hand. The second, was a thinner gold band inlaid with flecks of amber, very pretty, especially on the index finger of my left hand. The third was rather small, had no decorations, and was very scratched, but for some reason it intrigued me, so it now had a place on my ring finger, although I was unmarried and was likely to remain so. I continued pawing through the bowl and eventually came up with a small gold ring for my right pinky finger, inlaid with tiny rubies all around the band. Holding my hands out in front of me I inspected them, and quite liking what I saw, continued snooping through Anamaria's treasures when I came upon the most unusual thing. It was a ring, but it was very light, not made of metal but rather….looking at it I believe it was petrified wood, small slivers of bone had been pressed into the edge of it very evenly, with no apparent intention of coming out any time soon, what's more, each individual piece seemed engraved with odd inscriptions and markings. Wherever Anamaria had found this, it was old, incredibly old, it had a well-weathered look about it and some places seemed worn down, as though it had been sitting at the bottom of the ocean at one point. Interesting, incredibly interesting. It was large, the only finger it would fit on was my right thumb, so that's were it now sat.

I do love treasure something fierce.

Deciding my hands laden enough I went to her closet and pulled a fresh half-sleeve orange blouse from it After pulling off my no-longer needed bandages, I slipped it on and pulled on a dark brown lace up the front corset/vest over that, once finished, I tucked the small pendent that hung around my neck into the shirt. Next I slid into some snug-fitting, dark brown, long breeches and tugged my boots on over them. I fumbled with my belt and finally managed to secure the thing, a dagger and sheath hung tightly from the left side of it, and though I'm good with a small blade, I would have much preferred a sword. I ran my fingers through my springy curls and searched the floor for my classic orange bandana, finding it, I tied it around my head, taming most of my curls and pulling them out of my face. That done, I faced a full length mirror that had somehow managed to survive on Anamaria's ship.

It had been a long time since I'd seen myself. My dark brown curly hair was longer now, reaching down past my shoulder blades. My tan had deepened yet again to a light bronze color, And yet, my bright orange-ish amber eyes still stood out against my face, the rich color was flecked with chocolate brown and gold. My favorite feature. I had a 'pretty' face, a slightly squared jaw line, a gently curved button nose, nearly-full lips, thick eyebrows and of course, my bright, wide amber eyes, I had a slim body, good sized breasts, which my corset vest pushed up, feminizing my figure all the more, a thin waist, flat stomach, curvy hips, and nice, long legs. As a character I was lithe, willowy even, but strong, had to be, a pirate can't be no weakling now can she?

I heard the faint clip of her boots on the deck just before Anamaria waltzed into the room, the door swinging wide behind her.

"oh my. Did de storm last night clean ye off, you look _purdy_."

I snorted with laughter for a bit while she continued.

"are those me own cloths? I never looked so good in 'em. Are you wearing my rings?" ah, so she finally noticed.

"only a few, I can keep 'em can't I?" I grinned brightly at her.

She glowered at me and sighed.

"yeah, fine, keep 'em"

"I'm keeping the cloths too."

"fine. So ye never did tell me what ye need in Singapore."

" I need to deliver a message."

"another one?"

"aye. I told ye, I'm everyone's messenger."

"never knew ye to be so selfless."

"I'm honor bound to these."

"ah, that explains it."

"what ye be lookin' fer?"

" a map an' a key."

"the ones in your dresser?"

She stopped, looked at me, glanced at the dresser, and moved on.

"yes. The ones in me dresser."

I smirked.

"are they important?"

"aye."

"what fer?"

"the map is important to get us to Singapore, the key is important fer openen me bargainin' tools."

"ah. So, treasure, then."

"aye, treasure."

"are we makin' good time?" I asked.

"aye, we be makin' good time."

"good then. If ye need me, I'll be in the crows nest."

**2**. Singapore.

I bid farewell to Anamaria at the docks, where she had give me a pack of cloths as a gift and a bottle of rum, which I sipped at steadily as I walked. I had once again donned an overcoat, and a rice hat now sat on my head. The waterways splashed quietly and oriental music filled the air that burned with fireworks. Bright flashes of color lit the sky, illuminating steam vapors that rose above buildings and bathhouses and into the chilly night air. Boards creaked and whined beneath my feet as I walked over yet another small bridge. From some of the more public buildings the heavy fumes of incense crowded the air, clogging up my nose and blocking out others smells. I sneezed and pushed a curtain aside to enter an entryway. Nearly as soon as I set foot inside, I was being stopped by guards. Guards of pirate ilk.

"and who would we have hear?" his accent made him speak his words rather airily, telling me that English was definitely not his first language, of course, I hadn't expected it to be. He and his buddy looked of Asian descent.

"a traveler, a messenger, a thief, a murderer, and above all, a pirate." I replied.

"and your intentions here?"

"I seek our King."

"for what reason?" again his accent warped his words, stretching them slightly.

" I have a message for her."

"from whom…?"

"you wouldn't know our King personally, and so I am not obliged to tell you."

He pulled a knife from his belt.

"I see no reason to let you pass for an unknown message." he grinned a crooked, yellow smirk.

I sighed, this guy was seriously starting to piss me off. He was a pirate though so….

"parley." I sighed.

"what?"

"parley. I demand the right of parley now take me to yer damn captain!"

" I know what parley means miss. It doesn't mean I have ter honor it." he was downright leering at me now.

"it's the code."

"well I says hang the code." his breath was awful. I unsheathe my knife and buried it in his stomach, yanking upwards I felt warm blood spill over my hands but I leaned foreword anyway to whisper in his ear.

"the code is the law."

I pulled my blade out and watched his filthy body fall before turning to his buddy, who had drawn his sword and held it in front of him nervously.

"take me to your captain. that's an order."

/

"So you killed my man." he spat. His thin eyes were barely visible under his rice hat and in his hands he played with a dagger. He was dressed in finery. The clothing he wore was strange and embroidered, with decorative patterns throughout the entire fabric. From what I could see he was short, on the pudgy side, and could most likely be easily bribed, and oh , though he acted like one in greed and grossness, he was definitely not a captain.

"no, I killed your captains man."

"I am captain!" even as he said it his eyes darted to the skinny man on his left. The man on his left was dressed in a deep blue Chinese robes, and while less decorative, were cleaner and made of finer material. From what I could see of his skin, he was covered in decorative tattoos and had many scars. He was also considerably older. His hair was long and going grey, tied at the nape of his neck and he had a long, thin mustache. I couldn't see his eyes because like his companion, myself, and most everyone around us, he wore a rice hat.

"I'm looking for the pirate King, I have message to deliver, as it were." I addressed him.

"and who says the pirate King wants your message?" he replied, his voice ragged even through his Chinese accent.

" she'll want it. I just need to know where the village she lives in is, and perhaps how to get there, if you'd be a gentlemen."

"and for this information, your willing to give us something in return?" he asked, tilting his head towards me just a bit."

" depends how reliable said information is."

"reliability depends on the payment."

"how bout the payment be you get to live?" I hated obstacles. This was well on it's way to becoming an obstacle, not to mention the gaudy incense giving me a headache.

"haha…haha…you think you could kill me, in my tavern, surrounded by my men? Haha….you are a bold lass." he laughed, his smile further creasing the lines on his face.

" you want to test me? I was not raised on kindness and fair play, nor do I carry my blade as a decoration, as your man soon found out." I growled.

"you're a bit young to be makin' demands of me, girl." his voice dropped to a tone that demanded respect I didn't want to give.

"and you're a bit old to be underestimating opponents."

"haha…I'll give it to ye lass, ye be clever. I'll still be needin' payment."

" ten shillings?"

"hnnn." he stroked the long ends of his mustache thoughtfully.

"that's my only price, take it or leave it."

"done. Now hand me the coins." he reached out a weathered hand for the shillings.

"after I've delivered my message." a pirate is a pirate.

"how can I trust yer word on that?"

"how can I trust yours?"

"fair enough." he ordered one of his men to guide me and I followed him out the door glad to leave the intoxicating incense behind me.

**3**. Elizabeth Turner and William Turner III.

The village was small, but packed with little building and people, and torches lit hard packed paths. Being this close to Singapore it didn't need much as they didn't have to go far for supplies, so most of these were probably homes. Most of them were probably pirate homes. Crates and barrels lay stacked next to most of the little places, and an odd dog or cat roamed around. Or a goat. No, the goat was tied up. My guide led me through the main part and right on down to the outskirts of the village, through the edge and down a little path through the trees. Seriously, where were we going?

"if your planning on taking me away, gutting me, and stealing my purse, you may want to think again."

He turned around a smiled at me.

"there'll be none of that now. Me captains a man of his word." he assured me and continued on.

Birds and small critters chattered and sang through the trees. Leaves and branches rustled in a gentle breeze, black against a deep blue sky. The air here was clean and fresh, making me grateful. I took a deep breath and subconsciously touched the pendant at my neck. Closing my eyes I followed the sounds of his footsteps for awhile, the crunch of dry leaves and the sharp snapping of twigs breaking. The shuffling of dirt against boots. I breathed.

"it's up ahead, miss."

I opened my eyes to see dim light spill through tree trunks.

We were coming up on a cottage f sorts, a stone and wood built structure, probably big enough for a bathroom, two rooms, a kitchen and dining area, and a family room perhaps. It was two stories, so I expected stairs on the inside.

I did not expect to see a man open her door at this time of the night when I went knocking.

His cloths and hair were tidy, he was rather short, probably around 5'5, and he was rather plump for my taste. While he wasn't ugly, comparing him with William turner he might as well have been.

"who the hell are you?" I asked, rudely of course.

"I-I could ask you the same question, miss…" he flustered at the sight of me and my companion.

"I'm looking for Mrs. Turner." I spoke by way of reply.

"she-she's ill. She doesn't need visitors at the moment."

"well her visitors need her." I growled, waving my guide away and pushing him aside.

"Mrs. Turner?" I called to the house.

"Jonathan, who is it?" a small voice called out from upstairs. I tromped to the second story and spotted a door ajar, candle-light flooding through it. It creaked as I pushed it open.

"Mrs. Turner?" I asked softly. The woman sitting up on the bed was gorgeous. Light brown hair with a nice wave to it. Soft brown eyes, sun kissed skin. She was a beauty to behold. Her hair was damp and stuck to her forehead, now that I looked she was thin…a little too thin, she had dark circles under her eyes and a thin sheen of sweat coated her. She was ill…probably had been for awhile now. At her side was a small toddler. In her hand was a sword. Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

"who are you and why are you in my house?" she demanded.

"my name is Bella, Mrs.-"

"what do you want?"

"I'm not here to see the Pirate King, I'm here to see Elizabeth Turner."

"and what would you want from Elizabeth Turner?" she asked again through gritted teeth.

"Will sends his love."

Her demeanor changed immediately, and drastically. She dropped the sword and smiled, literally looking healthier for a moment.

"….are you….of his crew?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm not dead, Mrs. Turner."

She sighed in relief. I got the feeling that if I ever had kids, I wouldn't want dead people hanging around either.

"please, call me Elizabeth. How do you know Will?"

" I was alive when the rest of the ship wasn't. he saved my life, in return I was to deliver this letter." I pulled the old rum bottle out of my pocket.

"Mrs. Turner, I really must protest to your visitor! Your health-"

"who are you?" I demanded of him again.

"a physician. He comes here almost every day." Elizabeth answered me.

"hn. What exactly is wrong with Elizabeth?" I asked.

"exhaustion-" John was cut off by Elizabeth.

"only natural as I have a child!"

"yes, but-"

"please, the letter from Will?" she asked me, pleading. I broke the wax seal and handed her the bottle. She pulled the cork out with shaky hands and shook the letter from the bottle, unrolling it as though it were fragile.

John sighed and I shoved him out of the room for his irritance. The snoozing of the toddler and the clip of my boots were all I heard as Elizabeth read her letter. I opened the window and let fresh, cool air into the room. It was too stuffy, bad for someone with poor health.

I looked at her face and saw she was smiling happily even as a tear fell down her face, dripping off her chin and onto her nightgown. I wanted what I saw in her eyes. That pure undiluted love. I wanted it so bad it hurt. I wanted so much and yet I hated love with every fiber of my being. I saw it, occasionally, as I saw it now, and I hated it. Love was like fire. The closer you went the warmer it got until eventually it lashes out and burns you. I'd seen it in Will's eyes as well.

I could have cried for them.

I sat on the edge of the bed and the little boy looked up at me with his bright blue eyes. I wonder if his eyes would turn brown, like Elizabeth's? or that rich dark honey color like Will's? what hair he had was wavy, more like his mother than like his fathers, but his eyes were the same shape as Will's. I hoped that his eyes turned the same color as Will's, because at present, the shape of them was the only thing that looked like his fathers.

"what's his name?" I asked softly.

"William Turner III. After his father."

"Hm, little Liam." I cooed.

"what?"

"Liam, if his father is Will and his grandfather Bill, he should be Liam." I pulled the sleepy child into my lap and sat there, murmuring softly and cooing. Looking down on his face I could already tell he had the best of his parents. This child was gorgeous. I stroked his fine dark blonde hair and felt the comfort of his breathing.

"thank you." Elizabeth broke the silence after awhile.

"hmm?"

"thank you for bringing this to me."

"my pleasure."

We sat in silence for a bit more before my pirate-ness kicked in.

"can I ask a favor?"

"and what favor would that be?" she inquired.

"I need a ship and a crew so I can find Jack Sparrow in the devils triangle." I replied nonchalantly.

"Jack Sparrow?"

"you know him?" I asked.

"yes…I know him…what do you need to find him for?"

"I need to deliver a message."

She smiled at this and thought about for a moment.

"how did you come to know Jack?"

"long story."

"I have a lot of time, would you mind staying awhile?"

"I could do with a few days rest…" I admitted.

"wonderful…now tell me about Jack."

"oh…where to begin?"

"at the beginning." she offered enthusiastically. I grinned.

"at the beginnin'…."


	3. Part III

**Part III : tales of Jack Sparrow.**

**1**. The Beginning.

"I first met Jack over a decade ago, I was only twelve at the time. I met him for the first time in the brig, waitin' the gallows."

" at twelve years old you were in the brig waiting the gallows?" she interrupted.

" Mrs. Turner, I have always been a thief, it was Jack who made me a pirate."

" oh."

" may I continue?"

"yes, please."

/

_I huddled in the back corner of the cell, shivering as the cold damp wall behind me leeched the warmth from my back. The squeak of rats could be heard from the shadowed corners of the dungeon. The footsteps of the guards who walked the floor above me reverberated across the stone walls. I huddled to in the corner and listened to my own frightened breathing. My wrists burned from the cold metal shackles that had bound them. I was barely thirteen years old. _

_I had been caught in the governors household, clutching fine, delicate jewelry as I had tried to make a hasty escape out a window. Not the first time I had been caught, but it was the first time I had failed to escape from such capture._

_The cold screech of metal startled me, my head snapped up as the door of the cell swung wide and another prisoner was tossed in._

"_you can go ahead and keep each other company till morning comes!" the guard laughed, his voice swayed by a heavy English accent. The clip of his boots echoed off stone walls and iron bars as he left._

_I looked at my 'guest' with minute interest. He was dirty, tall and skinny with dark brown hair fashioned into dreadlocks, decorated with beads, and held back by a deep red bandana. His cloths were ragged and a little torn in some places and his boots were well-scuffed. A ruffian by the look of it. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows and looking closer I saw it. Just above his wrist was a still pink scar, a branded P. he was a pirate._

"_Nice hat." _

_I looked up at his face as he spoke, I would have noted he was a handsome man, if I had had such interests at that age. While I had been studying him, his rich colored eyes had been studying me. I looked into his eyes and noted the colors that flickered in the torchlight. His eyes were dark chocolate in color, streaked with a darker, near black hue and a paler, almost honey color. I liked his eyes. Even as a child, peoples eyes had always fascinated me, even my own._

"_thanks." I replied stiffly. He stood and pretty much swaggered over to the bench, sitting himself down. When he spoke I had noticed a flash of gold, which I now realized were gold teeth, as he smiled at me._

"_so how we gettin' outta here, luv?" he asked ,his smile never-fading._

" '_scuse ye?" I replied, startled._

"_surely ye don't intend to be swingin' in the gallows tomorrow morn now do ye, dearie?"_

"…_nah."_

" _so what's the plan then?" he stood up abruptly and began pacing in a rather odd manner._

_This man…pirate, had to be crazy if he thought we could escape. I shouldn't get my hopes up._

"_ideas now, ideas!" he encouraged me._

"_there's no way of escaping', you know that right?"_

"_aren't you a cheery one." he muttered, his top lip raised up just a bit._

_I ignored him. I put my head back on my knees and listened to the sounds. My breathing. His breathing. His erratic pacing. His mumbling._

"_where is that dog?" he leaned against the bars and looked out._

" _under the bench." I whispered._

_He turned around after looking once more._

"_and how did ye know that?"_

"_I can hear 'im"_

"_could you now?"_

_I lifted my head and gave him a dry look._

" _you got good ears?" _

"_yeah."_

"_can you hear if there be a soul around above us?"_

"…_.there be two guards, if that's what yer askin'"_

"_good….." he stood still, finally, and looked at me, his expression flickering until it landed on something clever, bold , and a bit leery._

"_are ye a good actress, luv?"_

_/_

_I screamed and he shoved me against the wall hard enough to make my head whirl. My eyes stung as tears tired to well up and I gritted my teeth and shoved him away. He grabbed my arm and swung me around, throwing me against the cell wall, I yelped aloud. He pushed up against me and leaned foreword._

" _yer lighter than I thought ye'd be." he whispered in my ear. His breath smelled of rum. I kneed him in the stomach and lashed out, my foot striking the iron bars and making a loud clang that continued ringing. He smacked me and I screamed out for help once more, squirming under his weight. Footsteps clattered down the stairs. I almost smirked except that he lowered his head and bit my neck. It wasn't a nip either, the jerk was gonna give me a damn hickey. Warm tears spilled over my cheeks from pain as I tried to shove him off, that failing, I punched him as shouts sounded down the hall. The guards were fumbling for the keys, shouting at him, and he took the opportunity to drag me further from the door of the cell were the guards couldn't reach. I hit the stone wall roughly and felt it scrape across my shoulder, drawing blood. I started begging, crying, pleading with him and the guards to make it stop. I kicked him in his jewels and he stifled a groan as the door swung open and the guards rushed inside, shouting, trying to pull him away from me._

_We shoved or respective guards to the back of the cell and rushed out, swinging the door shut behind us and grabbing the keys from the lock. We left the dungeon with the guards shouting after us._

_Once on the street we ducked into a nearby alleyway for temporary refuge._

" _that went rather well" he commented, grinning._

"_What are ye, a vampire! Ye bit me!" I glared at him._

"_had to make it convincin', now didn't we, luv?" he smirked._

"_don't call me luv."_

"_well as you are a girl, you ought to be someone's luv, and as I have not yer name nor any other title pertaining to you, what am I to call you but a little luv? Eh?"_

_I gave him a confused stare for a little while until he smiled and held out his hand._

"_me name's captain Jack Sparrow, and yers would be?"_

" _Bella."_

" _well, miss Bella, you have my thanks."_

"_don't need 'em. Ye saved my neck as much ye saved yer own."_

"_well then, owing not, I'll be off!" and he turned and walked away._

_I stood in startlement for a second before running after him, one hand on my hat to keep it on my head. The hat was too big for me, it always had been._

"_ye can't leave me here!" I called._

"_sure I can."_

"_where am I s'pose to go?"_

"_anywhere! That's the beauty of freedom, luv."_

_Was he nuts? If he left me here I'd be caught again by morning. I had nowhere to run._

"_Captain Jack, take me with you!" I shouted._

_He turned to me with a sly grin._

"_there's no place for a girl in my world, luv."_

"_why not!" I cried._

"_look at ye, yer a little scrap of a thing, ye'd be no use in a fight, and yer a woman, if a miniature one at that, an a woman aboard is bad luck."_

" _I can learn to fight or stay out of the way. I'm fast an clever to boot!"_

"_no means no, lass."_

"_who cares if I'm unlucky!"_

"_me an me crew." he called over his shoulder as he sauntered away from me again._

"_Captain Jack! I'll do whatever it takes! Don't leave me here! I'll make me own luck!" I shouted at his retreating figure. He stopped again and turned once more to face me._

"_will ye now?"_

_/_

"and that, Mrs. Turner, is how I ended up in Jacks care."

"that sounds like just the beginning! Do tell me more!"

"perhaps tomorrow, Elizabeth, it's late, and ye need yer rest."

"I'll hold you to that."

" I bet you will." I snickered as I left the room.

So that was the King of Pirates, courtesy of Jack.

_**2. **_Beauty of the sea.

Morning came as morning often did, slowly. After telling the story to Elizabeth I recalled a lot of my other memories of Jack, keeping me awake as the dawn made its climb into the pale blue sky.

The baby started to cry as the day broke over the trees. I heaved myself up and trudged upstairs to Elizabeth's room, pushing the door open quietly. She sat up in bed, cradling little Liam, his face scrunched up as he bawled. Elizabeth looked exhausted. I stooped down and took the little guy from her arms, rocking him back and forth gently.

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"do you want breakfast?" I asked.

"hmm?"

"breakfast. I can cook you know."

"where did you learn to cook?"

"…from Jack and various others…."

"is it edible?"

"..yes."

"then I'd love breakfast."

I turned on heel and left the room, little William still in my arms.

/

Elizabeth came down dressed like a pirate. I raised my eyebrows and said nothing. Old habits and all that. Liam was sitting on the floor by my feet, playing with a little carved horse. Well, actually he was sorta chewing on it, but that was normal for a baby, so…

"what are you making?" she asked, sniffing the air.

"breakfast. Egg, ham, cheese, and various other ingredients all mashed into one and cooked in a fryin' pan."

She picked up Liam and looked into the pan.

"it looks edible…"

"ah, and it actually is! That's the beauty of it!" I chuckled.

"who taught you how to cook that?"

"Hector Barbossa, actually."

It was her turn to raise eyebrows at me.

"he likes food."

"I see." and with that she turned and opened a cupboard, pulling glasses out.

/

She fed Liam and then we set down to breakfast, and were interrupted by a knock at the door. I looked over at the door and pulled a dagger from my boot, standing up.

"is that really necessary?" she asked me. I looked sideways at her to find a steak knife in her hand. She gave me a ladylike smile and looked away sheepishly. I walked over and opened the door to find John standing there.

I frowned, sized him up, and closed the door in his face.

"who is it?" Elizabeth called.

"no one important." I called back.

"Elizabeth!, I really must protest to this!" he called from outside the door.

"is that John?" she asked.

"yeah…"

"did you close the door on him?"

"..yeah."

"do let him in."

"fine."

I wrenched the door open and gestured for him to come inside using my dagger as a pointing tool.

He flushed and edged past me and into the kitchen.

"what are you eating?" he asked, apparently horrified, before taking her plate from her.

"are ye really a physician?" I glared at him, snatching the plate back and handing it to Elizabeth.

"yes, and she needs to be eating healthy food!"

"that is healthy! Look at her will ye! She's wastin' away, she needs to eat!"

"not this!" he growled and stole her plate again, Liam started crying.

I grabbed it back and handed it back to Elizabeth once more.

"you! Obviously don't know the slightest thing about health, miss pirate!"

I put my dagger under his chin and Elizabeth stood up, alarmed. Liam bawled.

" I came here as a favor to her husband! I serve her as a servant to my King! I do what's best for her as a friend, and you sir, know not the slightest thing about PIRATES!" as I spoke, I pushed him back, out of the kitchen, back into the entry hall, and at my last word, shoved him out the door, slamming it in his face.

" well that was dramatic." I muttered.

"was that necessary?" Elizabeth asked.

"yes, the idiot doesn't know the first thing about what you need."

"and you do?"

"takes a pirate to know a pirate, your highness." I grinned.

She set her steak knife down, picking Liam up.

"when was the last time ye went to the docks? Or smelled the sea air? Ye don't need bed rest, Elizabeth, ye need just the opposite."

"I suppose your right." she sighed, cradling William III in her arms.

/

Down at the beach we sat on the large boulders just by the water, a salty breeze washed over us and we watched the tide roll out.

"I do miss it." she murmured.

"anyone would." I agreed. The breeze tugged at our hair and cloths. The gentle rush of the water as it slid over sand calmed me.

"tell me more… about you and Jack." she asked.

"me an Jack….me and Jack…."

/

"_an what be this?" Barbossa asked as I followed jack onto the Black Pearl. Jack looked between me and his first mate a few times before answering._

"_can't ye tell, it's a girl, mate." Barbossa rolled his eyes._

"_I can see that fer meself, what she be doin' here , Jack?"_

"_she's here te join me crew!" he spoke as though all was well and natural._

"_yer letting a child, let alone a girl, join the crew of de Black Pearl?"_

"_yup!" he nodded his head enthusiastically. Barbossa shook his head._

"_have you lost yer head recently, Jack? We've no use for a little lass aboard this ship."_

"_an I say we do."_

"_I say we don't"_

"_I say do."_

"_don't"_

"_do"_

"_don't"_

"_do"_

"_don't"_

"_do, clap me in irons and throw away the keys."_

"_we don't an we never will, Jack, so tell me, why's she really here?"_

"_for good luck!" Jack grinned, a gleam in his eye._

"_when all say to the contrary? A girl aboard be bad luck captain, by all accounts." piped in a scraggily crewman, who had been standing nearby._

"_gent's, we make our own luck; She stays, savvy?"_

"_a-aye aye , Captain." the crewman shuffled away._

_Barbossa gave me a doubtful look and moved so we could pass him. I couldn't help but stare at the massive purple feather sticking from his hat._

_/_

_I continued to stay close to Jack after that, whenever I strayed to far from him Barbossa seemed to appear and give me the evil eye of disapproval. It was in my hanging around Jack that I learned a few things. First, he talks to himself. Second, his compass doesn't point north, when I asked him about it he told me it pointed to whatever he wanted most, half the time, this appeared to be rum. Third, he really like my hat. One night while I was lighting lamps, he appeared behind me and snatched it off my head, sticking on his own. I then learned that Jack really is rather tall and in my current twelve-year-old state I was no match for the tricky pirate._

_I later learned that Jack always had his own agenda, because everything he did seemed to benefit him in some way, which made me wonder, why did he bring me along?_

_/_

"I thought you said Barbossa taught you to cook?"

"he did, I guess I grew on him eventually, but at the beginning he disapproved of Jack takin' me along."

"oh…"

"yeah, a few weeks in though, we got caught in a nasty storm, Barbossa saved my life."

"really?"

"yeah….I'm pretty sure he regretted it too."

/

"_haul up those sails! Move it ye scurvy dogs!"_

_Rain slashed down relentlessly on the deck, and the Black Pearl tossed in the waves. Wind whipped through the storm at cutting strength. I cowered near the helm._

"_secure the cannons, boys!" Jack shouted, still steering the ship. Even in this hell-bent weather, the man had that smile on his face and that gleam in his eye. Another wave crashed over the starboard side, sweeping across the deck and trying to take men to the blackened depths. I clutched the railing of the upper deck and prayed to whoever would listen. Men shouted below as they scrambled about. The frigid storm was unyielding as it beat down, determined to break apart our ship. Water splashed down my back as a hat was shoved onto my head._

"_hold onto that will ye, luv?" Jack asked, his gold teeth showing on his smile._

"_how the hell are ye smilin'? I swear Captain Jack, yer crazy!" I shouted, my voice drowned out by the roaring of the sea._

"_HaHa! That jus' makes life interestin' now don't it, lass?"_

_I had signed on with a madman. Thunder boomed across the sky. I clung harder to the post._

"_Pickett! Secure those lines!" Jack shouted, his voice died in the wind and lost in the rain._

"_luv, tell them to secure those lines!" Jack ordered._

"_aye aye Captain Jack." I shivered and creeped along the railing to the stairs. Sliding my butt down one step at a time. At the bottom I yelled at Pickett. He couldn't hear me. I stood and took a few hesitant steps._

"_Pickett!" I screamed. No use, the sea's roared louder still._

_I ran across the deck to the cargo grates, crouching to hold onto them._

"_Pickett!" thunder boomed overhead and the rain pounded harder. Wind lashed at my drenched hair and it whipped painfully across my face. My fingers and feet were numb to the bone. I stood up and the ship rocked violently as another wave crashed over the deck, sweeping me along with it._

_I screamed and my mouth filled with saltwater. I clutched my hat to my head with one hand and reached out blindly with the other. I felt myself hit the rail and topple over, the raging black sea beneath me. Cold, freezing. Waiting for me to fall. waiting to claim my life and drag my soul into that lightless abyss. Black. Cruel. Lightning lit the sky and I was struck by the beauty of the raging storm, even as it stole me. I slipped and unbalanced, I was tipping over the edge._

_I nearly choked when someone grabbed a fistful of the back of my shirt, right at the collar, and hauled me back onto the pitching deck. I hit the wooden planks roughly and pain throbbed my elbows, pain I was grateful for. Pain that meant I was alive. I looked up at him._

"_Barbossa!" I gasped._

"_aye, lass, either stay above or stay below! Ye'll meet yer death soon enough without bein' a fool, an I won't always be around te save ye!" he shouted._

"_Pickett needs to re-secure the lines, Captain Jack says there comin' loose!"_

"_aye, so they are, an yer message be delivered now get on with ye!" I scrambled back up to the helm and clung once more to the railing._

_/ _

_when the storm finally passed Jack came up and leaned against the railing next to were I crouched._

"_ye almost lost me my hat, luv."_

"_it's my hat."_

_He plucked it off my head and placed it back on his own._

"_are ye regrettin' yer decision? Do ye want te go home now , lass?" he asked._

"_are ye sane? Why on earth would I go home when I can be here?" I grinned at him._

_He smirked. I guess were both crazy, but then, that's what makes life interesting._

/

"wait….your hat…is it the one Jack always wears?"

" yes. That hat is what I gave him to seal our promise."

"wait, what promise?"

"that's somethin' else entirely, Elizabeth. Maybe I'll tell you someday, just not today."

"if you gave him a hat, did he give you something in return, then?"

"yes…he…he gave me this…" I held up my necklace and the pendant that hung from it. It was a small pendant, with little silver barnacles, a starfish, and a crab were holding a perfectly round, black pearl in their midst. The silver barnacles were clustered on the top, connecting the pearl to the chain and draping slightly over its surface with a starfish connected to the barnacles about halfway down one side of the pearl, and on the other side, the barnacles didn't drape down so far but a little crab sat at the edge of them.

"it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, "and Jack just…gave it to you."

"yes…just before he demanded my hat as his favor."

"oh…what was the promise?"

"secret."

"but surely…-"

"secret." I said more firmly.

**3. **Time and time again.

"so how long were you with Jack?" she asked me as we sat in front of her fireplace. Liam was curled into a ball in my lap, snoozing softly.

"eight years, intermittently. I spent a year and a half with Jack while he was captain of the Black Pearl, until Barbossa dropped me in some port while we were loadin' up supplies, just before they went and marooned Jack. I didn't see him for nearly a two years after that, until we met up in Singapore, quite by coincidence. Then I traveled with him for another five years, 'til he dropped me with Anamaria…after stealing her ship. After awhile, we ran into Captain Teague, who took me in after realizin' who I was.

"let me guess, when you met back up with Jack he was drunk and didn't remember who you were…"

"drunk? Ye think Jack gets drunk? How can a man get drunk when he's hardly ever sober?"

/

_I ran through the busy streets of Tortuga, a grin on my face and a bag of shillings In my hand, not mine of course, but just recently filched. I dodged drunks, drunks, loose women and more drunks, slid under a cart, jumped over a goat, swiped a rum bottle and ducked into a tavern. Shouts following my steps._

_I chuckled at my own prowess and took a swig. Not looking at the way in which my feet were walking I bumped into someone, my bottle slipped and spilt, the red-brown liquid sloshing over my shirt._

"_sorry, luv." _

_I choked on the rum in my mouth and spat it onto the man and took a look. It couldn't be…._

"_Captain Jack!" I croaked, my voice hoarse my the rum burning down the wrong tube._

"…_Bella darling! Come to apologize for being a bloody traitor!" he growled, grabbing me by my collar and hoisting me onto my toes. He was a bit dirtier than usual, the scent of rum and sweat wafting off of him._

"_bloody, traitor? What the hell are you talkin' bout! Ye abandoned me in that damn port! Where the hell was I suppose to go! Eh!"_

'"_-I was marooned on the god forsaken island and had to watch that man sail away with my ship! Do ye know what that's like!"'_

'"_- by the time I got back to the docks, I had to watch you sail away without a care in the world while I screamed for you to come back!"'_

_We had shouted at the same time and now paused, trying to comprehend what the other had said._

""_what?""_

""_stop that!""_

'" _Bella,-"'_

'"_Jack-"'_

_We stared at each other._

"_you were marooned?" I asked._

"_you were left behind?" he asked me back, twittling his hands in his usual odd manner._

"_I was told to go into town and get deliver a message. Only to find out the person whom to I was deliverin' said message didn't exist."_

"_I was told you jumped ship."_

"_obviously I didn't. ye still had me hat."_

"_oh...this" the hat which was currently perched upon his head._

"_they marooned you?"_

"_on a hellhole spit of land with not but me hat, me compass, and a pistol with one shot."_

"_my hat." I corrected. He kinda raised one side of his lip in contradictive distaste._

"_yeah…well…enough of that, Miss Bella, we seem in need of a ship an a crew."_

"_so it seems we are…" _

_We grinned at each other._

_/_

"and then you stayed with him for five years? I can hardly stand the man for five minutes!"

"Jack an me….were more alike than most. I was willing to follow were he was leading and he was willing to have me. You need to remember, Elizabeth, when Jack found me, I had already accepted death on the gallows. He gave me a reason to live when I had none left. Then he taught me to live for the sake of living."

"until he up and left you."

"yeah." I grinned.

/

"_Sparrow! Yer scum! Vermin! Vile-nasty-scurvy-mangy-filthy-" Anamaria shouted, as her ship drifted away from dock, Jack aboard it, grinning down at us._

"_did ye forget something, Captain Jack?" I called, irritated._

"…_forget something? And what would that be?" he called back, a frown on his face._

"_ME you bloody idiot!"_

"_oh…nope!" he grinned again and I joined Anamaria in screeching curses and insults at him._

"_easy luv, those words are not something that should be comin' from the mouth of a lady!"_

"_I'M NOT A LADY!" I screamed._

" _as you are a young woman, nearing the age of one appropriate to be married, I think it's time you were a lady, Bella darling!"_

"_Jack Sparrow, get yer drunken ass back here!"_

"_that's hardly encouraging love!"_

"_I don't care! You can't be leavin' me behind AGAIN!"_

"_I can't? well you seem to be on the docks while I am in my ship drifting away and yet it's happenin' so I am goin' to be so bold as to say I can!" he shouted back._

"_I hate you!" I yelled at him._

"_now love! Don't be fergettin' our promise!" he shouted, the distance between us greater now and our voices more easily lost to each other._

"_I won't ferget it! An I won't be fergettin' this either!"_

_Captain Jack Sparrow pulled off his hat(my hat) and waved it in the air as he drifted out of the port and on into open waters, leaving me behind. Yet another time._

_I clenched the Heart of the Black Pearl in my hands as that ship sailed out of sight._

_/_

**4.** the keeper of the code.

"well, you've told me beginning and endings, but what about the adventure you went on? What about the good parts?"

"ah…I had a lot of adventures with Captain Jack, and very few you haven't already heard. Those were the good days, but you can get adventure stories from any pirate, as a matter of fact, Miss King of Pirates, I'm pretty sure you have a lot of stories of your own that would do well to trump any of mine."

"I- I suppose." she agreed.

I grinned.

"but what about Captain Teague?" she continued.

"ah….scary old Captain Teague."

/

"_Anamaria." I called._

"_yes…?"_

"_we seem to be in over our heads this time."_

"_yeah….sure looks that way."_

_Our most recent ship, the Songless Siren, sat in ruin around us, the mizzenmast was broken in half, the bow was torn apart from canon fire, our main sail had been set ablaze and we had to cut it lose to save the ship from suffering the same end. To top it all off, our rudder was gone._

_OUR RUDDER WAS GONE._

_We could sit here until we all starved to death because we were completely and utterly stranded. Once our attacker had disabled our ship, they saw fit to tie our crew to the main mast while they raided us, and then cut us lose once they had stolen our supplies._

_Bloody damned rogue pirates wouldn't even honor the code and grant us parley._

_We sat for three days while our ship drifted. Salt in the air drying out our skin. Dehydrating us without clean water to relieve our parched tongues. The hot sun beating down on us. After awhile one of the crew became delirious in the heat and had to be restrained lest her throw himself overboard believing the sea to be made of rum and brandy._

"_Captain! Confirm it true or shoot me, I think I spot a ship!" called the watchmen from the crows nest. Faster than I could believe I climbed the rigging to steal his scope and look for myself._

_Sure enough I saw a smudge of dark with white sails._

"_Anamaria! I'll confirm it! We've got us a ship comin' in!" I shouted. Men hollered cheers on the deck below._

"_Flying what colors?" she called._

_I peered into the scope._

"_SHE AIN'T FLYIN' ANY!" I hollered joyously. Pirates! I allowed myself to whoop and cheep with the rest of the crew as the ship neared._

"_keep yer wits about ye lads! They could be an enemy as easy as an ally!" Anamaria barked sharply._

"_Form up and be presentable, we'll want to offer no threat less they finish what others started." _

"_Aye, Captain!"_

_The ship neared enough to nearly scrape our side before she weighed anchor and set in place._

_A plank was dropped between the vessels as a bridge and they were boarding us just as I reached the deck on my climb down. The crew was lined along the railing, and Anamaria stood by me near to the mast._

_We were shocked by what greeted us. They were pirates all right. They were just…old._

"_who de ye name as Captain?" a particularly white haired man asked._

"_I" Anamaria stepped foreword._

"_an that be yer first mate?" he asked, gesturing to me._

"_no, just her favorite!" I chimed in, particularly gleeful._

_Anamaria glared at me._

"_heh. What might ye be doin' stranded so far out?" he asked._

"_drifting. Our rudder is disabled and we have no supplies, we beg your kindness to help us." Anamaria answered._

"_we may not be able te house so many…" his mate mumbled to him._

"_if it's about supplies our crew will ration them….the only thing we desperately need is water…"_

"_aye…so it seems…."_

"_it's closer to cove than dock now…." his mate mumbled again._

"_get aboard. We'll take ye to shipwreck cove…we were running supplies when we found ye….I suppose we'll have to make another trip….." he trailed off, grumbling to himself, and with that, we had passage. _

_/ _

_That evening we sat below deck and rationed the food they gave us, and knowing the crew, I knew all of them held back for each other. When the basket came to my hands I took nothing and passed it on. I was well used to going hungry. I'd grown up hungry. I could deal for a few more days._

_The basket of bread and dried meat kept moving._

"_Bella took nothin'." Conrad piped up. He was a well respected deckhand on Anamaria's ship, and the man was fair. He just couldn't keep his mouth shut. I glared at him as the basket stopped moving._

"_Bella-" Anamaria began to protest._

"_stow it, Captain, " I pulled a pistol from my neighbors boot and pointed it at Todd, who currently held the basket._

" _keep it moving, there's more to be fed." I growled._

_They all shifted in their various seats and ate nervously, glancing about. The old guy who had been hovering in the corner came forward with a case of rum. The basket kept moving._

"_miss, ye may be young but ye ain't immortal…" he patronized me._

"_Thomas is twice my size and he took next to nothin', give him my share and call it good."_

_He cracked the case open and took out a bottle. _

"_that's not the point, yer young, ye need yer sustenance-"_

_I snatched the bottle from his hand and downed half of it before passing it on._

"_there. I had my sustenance, call that even."_

_They let the issue go. Carrow didn't take anything and I swung the pistol his direction. He grabbed a piece of dried meat and passed the basket on. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. The rum warmed me and I gave in to exhaustion. I slept._

_For the four days every time they tried to get me to eat, I fell asleep. You can't feed a sleeping person no matter how much you try. And my stomach burned with hunger whenever I wasn't sleeping, but being me, I either ignored it or doused it with rum. Solve it like Jack, I thought. Finally I got cracked over the head with an empty bottle during one such nap._

_I launched to my feet, mouth open, ready to berate the moron who hit me, when they pretty much shoved a piece of bread down my throat. I choked, coughed it into my hands, tore it in half and ate it._

"'_appy?" I asked through a full mouth._

"_not nearly." the old guy grunted, more food in his hands._

"_if your feeding me more than what everyone else got today I'll kill you." I growled._

_He barked with laughter an I eyed him funny._

"_how much longer till we reach shipwreck cove?" I asked._

"_another day or so… why aren't you eatin' like de rest of yer crew?"_

"_I grew up starvin' . I can deal, there's hardly enough food there to feed five people and its bein' spread over thirteen of us."_

"_ye'll all eat good at shipwreck cove. Take what ye can now."_

"_if I eat is it goin' to make you leave me alone?" I asked. He just grunted and walked away, leaving me with the food. I turned around to find half the crew there, grinning like idiots. I glared and they sauntered away._

_/_

_We all got off at the dock and stared with dumbfounded amazement at shipwreck cove. Gold and jewels lay all over the place, the buildings all seem like one colossal mismatched heap of ships strung together at the edges and piled atop one another. It was pirate heaven. Outside were hundreds of lamps creating beautiful patterns in shadows off the walls, Inside was a maze of rewards from generations of plundering, from exotic fabrics to overstuffed plush furniture to strange rugs to maps pinned into the walls. It was a myriad of cultures, a Pirate sanctuary. Looking at the place as a whole it was also a fortress, a well supplied fortress._

"_welcome to shipwreck cove." the old guy grunted before heading off, into the sanctuary._

_I wandered about for quite some time, gazing at treasures, imaging the voyages and stories that must have accumulated in this place. I was peering at a particularly odd map when a gruff voice called for my attention._

"_I hear ye and yer crew got yerselves stranded?" he asked._

_I turned around and gasped._

" _you look like Captain Jack!" a much older, much scarier Captain Jack. A much more sober one as well. And cleaner too._

_He tilted his head and sized me up with eyes so much like Jacks. He held himself with respect, and that demeanor seemed to fit him. This was a man who commanded respect, who had led a full life and had earned the unchallenged right to it. I liked him._

"_ye know Jackie?"_

"_are ye his father?" I asked. He nodded, an almost proud smile on his face._

"_is Jackie doin' well?"_

"_he seemed rather well when he was waving' me goodbye as he sailed away. Without me. Again"_

_I swear the old guy smirked._

"_me names Captain Teague." he introduced himself._

"_Bella." I introduced in kind._

" _how long did ye know Jackie?"_

" _I was at his side for eight years…intermittently."_

" _he must have liked ye then."_

"_he liked my hat."_

_We both grinned and my stomach growled._

"_I heard ye starved yerself?"_

"_the crew needed to eat more than I did."_

"_I'd say ye all needed to eat about the same."_

_We stared each other down for a bit before he started chuckling._

"_yer a spirited one, I'll give ye that."_

"_what for?"_

_He just walked away chuckling. I followed._

_/_

"-And I was following Teague around ever since. When Anamaria and the crew were taken back to some port, I stayed in shipwreck cove under Captain Teague. He taught me a lot about life, and he taught me the code."

"but I've been to shipwreck cove! Where were you?"

"banned from the meetin' like the errant child that I was." I grinned.

"why did you leave now?"

"I have to deliver a message to Jack. From Teague."

"about what?"

"secret."

"but-"

"secret."

"and you need a ship and a crew?" she asked.

"yes."

"I'll lend them to you, and if you see Will, you'll give him my love?" ah, the bitter subject of love again.

"of course, after all, I'm the messenger."


	4. Part IV

**Part IV : Back to the Sea.**

**1.** drink up me hearties yo ho!

It took weeks to get me and my new crew to the devils triangle, and that was with me at the helm. And I'm an excellent navigator, I learned from the best. I learned from Jack. We stopped once at the last port between us and open water to the triangle for supplies, stocking hopefully well over what we needed, just in case. The ship Elizabeth had lent me was not nearly as large as the Black Pearl, but she assured me it was fast.

And so it was, again, not as fast as the pearl ,but she'd do. She even survived two storms that I unerringly led us strait through.

"Captain." I turned to the speaker, my current first mate, a short man of Chinese decent with small, dark beady eyes, a bald head, and a surprisingly loud voice who went by the name of Shu.

"aye?"

"we won't be goin' into the triangle itself now would we?" he asked nervously.

"hopefully not, I would rather not have to chase my dear friend Jack through that hell-born place."

" it's got the men awful nervous….these parts and the stories that abide them."

"it doesn't matter if they be nervous or not. Where this ship goes is my decision as yer Captain. Until I hop onto the Black Pearl, that is. Then ye can steer the ship as you bloody well please, savvy?" damn. I spoke it like Jack.

"aye aye, captain."

"Captain, there be somethin' way off starboard." a crewman called from the crows nest.

"could ye be more specific there, mate?" I asked.

"….it's a dark spot."

"bring me that damn scope." I ordered Shu, who scurried off. I heard a few shouts and the rather unpleasing sound of glass shattering before Shu hurried back with the scope.

"here ye are, Captain." he handed me the instrument and hovered.

"what broke?" I asked, extending the scope.

"a rum bottle, nothin' to worry about, Captain."

"was it full?" I placed it to my eye and searched 'starboard' for this dark spot.

"…no."

"better not have been, I'd have yer hide for wastin' rum." there!

I strained my eyes trying to make out what I saw. Maybe it was some odd rock formation? It looked almost like a ship….but the 'spot' ran too long and was too blurry for me to quite make out. I returned to the helm and spun the wheel, my ship lurched beneath me as we changed direction. I checked my compass. It spun without stopping. To close to the triangle now, I was at the gods guidance. Unless I could get a hold of jack and his blessed compass. Every few minutes I'd step away and return to peering through my scope.

"debris in the water!" a crewman called.

I walked to the railing and looked out, sure enough bits of wood and crates drifted on the waves. I searched through my scope for the 'spot'. my stomach lurched. There she was! The Black Pearl! Two ships actually. Well….one and a half. The pearl seemed mostly intact, a bit battered and worn, while the other ship was quite well destroyed, half of it floated next to the pearl, making the ships look like on long dark spot because the white sails had fallen to the sea. Perhaps floating was the wrong word. I'll kill whoever was steering that ship. Morons ran her onto a reef. She was stuck, a sitting duck, as it were. I prayed to the gods that the Black Pearls keel was still intact.

"men, watch for the reefs, steady as we go!" I ordered, returning to the helm. I'd found me Black Pearl and hopefully Jack. Now I just had to get to them.

/

"don't put down a bridge just yet, I'm still absorbing this moment." I ordered, absolutely giggly with delight. I stood next to the railing and clapped my hands together, grinning from ear to ear.

"Bella, darlin', come to relieve me of my misfortunes?" Barbossa called out. I shook my head.

"Hector Barbossa. This is just perfect. You actually managed to ground the pearl on a reef!" I laughed.

"I did it not for yer entertainment lass. Are you here to aid us or not?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Bella…" he warned.

"oh, an ye have the audacity to take that tone with me, wonderful, just wonderful. Perhaps I'll continue on my way now." I laughed and started to turn around.

"Lass, dumpin' ye at port was far kinder than dumpin' ye with Jack on some island with not but a pistol with a single shot."

" oh, that reminds me, where is Jack?"

"… what concern do he be of yers?"

"I have a message for him."

"and the message be?"

"from Teague."

"the content, Lass."

"not for yer ears. Where is he?"

"in me brig."

" well that won't do, bring him here."

" perhaps if ye'll help us with our...misfortunes." I dropped my grin.

" yer lucky I haven't killed ye for doin' this to the Pearl, of course I'm gonna tow it." I gestured to my men to ready the ropes.

"now please tell… do ye have the charts?"

"…aye….an yer concern with them?"

" personal….curiosity an all that."

He gave me a searching look and I turned away, back to the helm.

" Hurry it up an keep a watchful eye on the reef! Move it!" I hollered.

With some curses, a lot of shouting, a close scrape and excellent steering on my behalf we managed to pull the Black Pearl free of the reef and into clearer waters, once again siding up to them. This time I let the bridge be put down.

"Shu, my affects please!" he scrambled into my captains cabin and brought me my pack. I motioned a tip of the hat to him and strode boldly onto the Black Pearl, my crew transferring supplies to the pearl behind me.

" what ye be doin' , Lass?"

"gettin' Jack, I told ye I have to deliver a message."

"an after the message be delivered?"

" haven't planned that far ahead." I grinned. He rolled his eyes and stepped back, talking with his fist mate. Once the supplies were transferred onto the Pearl, I waved my men away, back to their ship, and they withdrew the bridge.

"well, Hector, can I go see Jack now?"

"aye , Lass, I suppose ye can."

**2.** just like old times.

"This was not our agreement!" I shouted after him as the door swung shut behind me.

"lass, I don't believe we had an agreement."

"I helped you out and supplied ye, and this is my repayment?"

"Take what ye can, lass, give nothin' back!"

"that's Jacks line!" I screeched as he chuckled, walking away.

"Bella, darling, good to see ye, luv!" Jack piped up from the back of the cell. I gave him a dry glance and leaned against the bars.

"it is good to see ye right?" he asked.

"no. Captain Jack. It is not good to see me."

He gave a half smile and twittled his hands nervously.

"and why is it not good to see ye?"

"Jack… why are you in the brig?" I asked, changing the subject and looking away, around the walls of the cell.

" the ship…I commandeered….got destroyed on the reef and I was...eh…picked up by Barbossa."

" and you were commandeering a ship because…?"

"…he had…me Pearl, savvy?" Jack mumbled.

"he had yer ship?"

"yes, well….," he glowered at me, "why so many questions? Didn't you say you were bringin' bad luck?" he changed the subject roughly.

"nothin' Jack, forget it, and I do not bring bad luck."

"right, we make our own luck! Now, I'm on a venture…I died once an I ain't goin' back. I'm goin' to reach the fountain of youth….just as soon as I get out of this cell." he grimaced at the bars.

"just like old times then." I sighed. The message could wait. It had had to. Jack wasn't ready.

"Just like old times." he grinned, grabbing me and pulling me into his arms.

"don't touch me." I warned. He frowned.

/

I sat in the cell and screamed my head off. You'd be surprised how well this works. It was approximately five seconds flat when steps thundered down the stairs.

"what in the blazes is wrong with ye!" Barbossa shouted, coming up to our cell. I waited till he was at the door before I stopped my blood-curdling wail.

" I'm bored now. Can I get out now please?"

"I thought ye had a message fer Jack." he grunted.

"Jack doesn't need it yet. Am I gettin' out or not?"

"I'm afraid not, lass." he turned to walk away.

I started screaming again. He swung around.

"will ye stop that racket!"

"I'm afraid not, sir." I smiled.

He glared at me and I smiled brightly at him. He snorted and walked away. I waited for him to get up to deck and started screaming again. After a few minutes Jack started eyeing his pistol. A few more and he started banging his head against the wall. A couple more and Barbossa once again stormed down to the brig.

"I'll shoot ye , lass, don't think I won't!" I stood and spread my arms.

"by all means, Captain!" I grinned. He pulled his pistol from his belt and pointed it through the bars. I grinned back at him. He set the trigger. I didn't move. I was grinning and looking him strait in the eye when he shot me. I gasped and broke eye contact to look down at the blossom of blood forming across my side. I made a motion to speak and grabbed the wound. No words formed. Jack peered at me from the side, his head swinging from me to the wall behind him.

"You bloody shot me!" I screeched.

"ye gave me permission, did ye not?"

"I didn't think you'd take the bait!"

"ye obviously didn't think hard enough, lass."

The shot wasn't fatal, merely a graze on my side, I'd say I'd been caught by at least half, if not most of the bullet. It hurt like hell. Keys jingled and the door swung wide.

"next time, it'll be through the stomach, lass."

"next time, I'm not goin' to be standin' there like a target!" I grabbed Jack by the hand and went to leave the cell.

"what ye be doin'?" Barbossa stopped my with his gun.

"goin' to find some bandages!"

"Jack stays here."

"Jack comes with me, how well do ye think ye can lock him up? He's Captain Jack Sparrow, mate, and I'm on board."

Barbossa rolled his eyes and trudged away, grumbling. His mates followed him. The second they were out of sight I collapsed against Jack.

"Bloody hell this hurts, Jack!"

"I was wonderin' how long ye could last like that. Come on, easy does it, luv." he helped me up and together we limped up to the deck, were bright light met and stung my eyes. Jack smelled a little worse than usual.

"how long…have ye been in….the brig?" I panted, clutching my side.

"nearly a whole bloody week." his gait really was weird, now that I cared to notice.

" hurry up Jack." I groaned. Blood was seeping over my hand and down my side, bright red against my creamy colored blouse. A few crewman stopped to watch us walked, and my glare sent them away. Until my vision started clouding, that is.

"Jack…." I warned.

"yes luv?"

"-Jack." I stumbled and he caught me. My vision fazed in and out and my side throbbed like crazy as the pain set in. I could feel how shaky I was, how fast my heart was pumping, how weak my legs were.

"Jack-"

"just a bit more, luv."

The breeze did nothing to ease the burning in my side, nor anything to dry my clammy hands. I could feel sweat trickle down my neck and blood rush past my ears. My stomach felt hollow. Blood continued to drip over my hand.

Finally Jack sat me down on a stool and produced a roll of bandages from a nearby drawer. His rough hands placed themselves over mine, pulling my hand away from the wound. The pain intensified and I groaned. The hollow point in my stomach expanded. I felt dizzy. He pushed my shirt up and set to work fixing me up. Pain lurched up and I yelped as he used salt water to wash away the blood and cleanse the wound. I swear through a clear point in my vision the corner of his mouth twitched up. The wound clean Jack started to wrap the bandages. I looked around while he did so.

"Jack…are we in the Captains cabin?" I asked.

"yeah luv."

" what has Barbossa done to the place?"

**3. **the fog.

Several days and pints of rum later we were overtaken by a chilling, thick fog. I could hardly see around the deck let alone the water beneath us. The superstitions among the men ran high and at their center point was….me. The only woman aboard. I could hardly turn around without spotting a group of whispering crewman, casting nervous glances in my direction. After the hundredth or so encounter I resigned myself and went to help Jack annoy Barbossa at the helm. Only to find the both of them peering over the spinning charts, the wheel left unattended.

I walked silently over to them, peering over their shoulders. Jacks compass sat on the edge of the map, pointing northeast. It spun as I looked at it. I sighed and the both of them nearly jumped out of their skin.

"bloody blazes is wrong with ye!" Jack yelped, his pistol drawn. Barbossa rolled his eyes, tucking his own back into his belt. I smirked.

"couple of grown men, scared of a little fog?"

"these parts aren't natural, lass, one has right to stay on edge." Barbossa spoke up.

" stay to far on the edge, and ye'll fall off." I warned, stepping up to the charts. "let me see….."

I spun some of the rings, Jack watching nervously. I sat there nearly a half an hour, spinning the rings. Testing, searching, spinning again.

"that's very interestin'…" I mumbled.

"what?" Jack snatched the map from me. Too late, I'd already re-set the ring. Jack eyed me peculiarly. Sometimes Jack was a little too clever for his own good. Or mine. Barbossa grumbled and took the charts from Jack, setting them back on the barrel. Bored I stretched. Fog swirled around me. I shivered.

"I'm going for a swim! If I scream, come save me." I informed them. Both of them rounded in my direction as I grabbed a rope and jumped over the side. By the time my head surfaced from the frigid water, both of them where yelling at me from the deck. I ignored them. The heat was gone from my body so fast it left me numb. It was hard to move in the chilly water, but I kept swimming to keep warm. I felt for the current, surprised when couldn't find it. Surprised and not surprised. We were on still water, the thick white fog keeping us from seeing the fact. I didn't like this place. Alone, down here in the water, I felt isolated. The thick heavy fog prickling against my bare skin. The icy water leeching at my strength. It all felt so surreal. I grabbed my rope and followed it back to the ship. Now at the side I looked around once more. We weren't moving. We really, really needed to move. We needed to get out of here as fast as possible, else I give in to the fear curling in my stomach. I grab the rope and started to climb, one hand over the other. Again. Again. Again.

/

I hauled my sore, wet self over the railing and flopped down on the deck.

"enjoy yer swim, luv?" Jack asked, gazing down at me with too much of a leer for my comfort.

"we're not movin'" I informed him.

"what?"

"the ship isn't movin' , we need to get outta here , Jack."

"I bloody heard what ye said, how are we not movin'?"

"No current. No wind. No movement. I don't like it here Jack, I keep feelin' like somethin's comin' that I can't see. I don't like this fog." the fog that even now hung over the ship, like an eerie white shadow. Waiting. Watching.

"hold yerslef together, mate. It's just a little mist, that's all."

"yer a bad liar, Jack." he was scared too. I could tell in the tightness of his smile, a pitch of his voice, the nervous twittle of his hand over his pistol. I knew Jack to well for my own good.

I felt for the pendant under my shirt, clutching it for comfort. Jack sighed and crouched down, kissing my forehead and placing his(my) hat on my chest.

"hold onto that for me, will ye luv?" he asked.

"thanks Jack." I whispered.

"lower the oars mates! Get this ship movin'!" he hollered.

"belay that!" Barbossa barked from the helm. "what ye be doin' , Jack?"

" our dear friend Bella has informed me that not only are we surrounded by this cursed fog, but the ship is in fact, not even moving, savvy?"

"did she now?"

"yeah!" I called out, raising my hand in hopes maybe he saw that I was laying right there.

"then gents, lower the oars!" Barbossa ordered. Crewman scurried about, down beneath the deck. The long oars pushed out the sides of the ship, down into the hidden water below. Ever so slowly, the Black Pearl began to move.

**4. **The sirens song.

Night fell and the dense fog seemed more foreboding then ever. With the lamps lit I could see faint orange glows across the blank whiteness that filled the air, telling me where the rest of the ship was.

The creak of the ship and the sound of the men was the only thing that reached me through the fog. Feeling ill I went below, seeking sleep.

/

I woke up in a cold sweat, my nightmare fading quickly from memory. Leaving its fear behind to linger. Birdsong drifted through the ship, loud and eerie. The sound was disembodied, echoing and chilling, yet, it lured me. I walked past empty bunks and quiet places to the stairs, up to the stairs and into the cool night air. And the fog. The ever present fog. It was thinner now, and I could see shapes across the deck. The men, frozen still by the alluring sound of the song. I walked past them, searching their faces. Odd, all of them were crying. They looked so….crazed. They looked extremely happy and incredibly afraid at the same time.

Splash.

That song was so pretty. That beautiful , beautiful song. Who was singing?

The music swelled and I heard the soft flutter of wings.

Splash.

Who was singing, oh that beautiful music, where were they? So divine a sound…

Flutter.

I spun. Birds? Why on earth would birds fly in this thick pearly fog? The fog that resonated with that taunting song….

Splash.

I looked out over the railing…was that an island? Were they on the island, those singers of this heartbreaking song? Where? Where were they? I wanted that sound to continue forever…that precious sound….that wonderful melody…I needed to go to them…

Jack, look, there's Jack!

Splash. He dove over the side. He's going to the island! To the song! Oh how I need to follow him, how I need to follow this music, this enchanting music. I jumped over the railing. Splash.

Under the water the song broke. I gasped, inhaling frigid saltwater.

Don't go! That beautiful song, where was it, I needed it! I needed it so much! My foot pressed into the sea bottom and I pushed off, breaking the surface and again it filled my ears, that magical , luring sound. My eyes searched hungrily for the island, my gaze passed over Jacks hat and onto the island, the beach. I swam, my strokes powerful and driven by the haunting music that filled the air. Flutter. Splash.

My feet hit sand and I tried to run through the shallow water, tossing us sea spray as I went, the hat drifting back into the ocean behind me. As I glanced at it my pendant grew cold over my heart.

The hat. My hat. Jacks hat. Our promise. I couldn't leave the hat. But the song….

Broke.

I turned and bolted for the hat, the fog filling the air around me. Flutter.

I ducked. I had to save the hat. Then I had to save Jack. That song was cursed. It would kill him. That sirens song. I dove and snatched the hat from the surface of the water.

The sirens song.

Bloody hell.

Shoving the hat on my head I turned and ran after Jack, the water slowing my steps, the fog obscuring my view. Behind the island, creamy orange light filtered through the fog. Sunrise.

I pumped my legs harder, my breathing raspy from my earlier intake of salt water. I had to be faster. Sand dragged at my feet. Faster.

"Jack!" I yelled.

Faster.

"Captain Jack!"

Faster! I ran up the beach and into the tree line. Roots and grass tripping me up. FASTER!

I ran down the shadow filled path after Jack and after the song that lured him so.

"CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!" I screamed. Branches caught at my arms and face, stinging as they struck my skin. My lungs seared and my legs burned, the recently healed bullet wound stretching and throbbing.

I wasn't fast enough. I was gonna lose Jack. The taunting song echoed through the trees. I was gonna lose everything. Maybe I should just give up. The song chilled me and warm tears spilled over my cheeks. I was alone. Completely and utterly alone and my best friend was going to die. I wasn't fast enough. The song clawed at me, delving into my heart and opening my soul. I was weak. I was useless. I was afraid. I was so afraid. My stride faltered.

Jack don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Please I'm begging you! Don't leave me alone. It isn't fair! I'll do anything. Please, please don't leave me! Don't leave me behind. I don't want to be alone. Please Jack, don't leave me alone, I'm so scared. The song haunted my steps and rang in my ears. I stumbled on.

The path ahead opened up into a field. It was huge and almost perfectly round, filled with luscious, exotic wildflowers of strange and vivid colors and delicate, sweet fragrances. And corpses of the dead, those who fell prey to the song. You couldn't smell them through the flowers, for which I would have been thankful if my mind was even processing anything at that point except raw fear. Some were nothing but bone, others were raw and bloody and others still were fleshy and rotten and falling apart, infested with insects. The sight alone was enough to make you throw up.

And right in the middle were three beautiful creatures, and Jack. The women were all rather tall and thin, all three of them were identical. Beautiful women that would have been described as angles, only their wings seemed attached to their arms, with long graceful limbs and luscious curves. The parts that were human were naked and bare, sculpted as any mans ideal woman, they had full, red lips and wide, yellow eyes, with long, flowing black hair that matched their gleaming feathers. Their feet were like a seagulls, wide and flat, but their hands were like those of a bird of prey , tough and equipped with long, wicked talons. Bloody talons.

"Jack." I gasped. One of them embraced him, kissing him deeply with her perfect mouth. Bitch. The other two continued to sing and lure the men to their deaths.

"Jack!" I yelled. He didn't untangle himself from the siren, but all three looked at me with their wide, yellow eyes. I pulled my dagger from my belt and continued forward. Fear clawing me as I went.

"Let him go!" I called, my voice shaky.

One of the others stopped singing.

"_who are you to take our prey from us_?" she asked in a whispery, lilting voice.

"Bella. Just plain Bella." I growled with more bravery than I felt.

" _you are but a child. You have no right to take our prey from us_."

"he belongs to me. All the men aboard that ship belong to me. Release them."

" _they are ours now, child. And we have no use for you._"

" I won't leave without him."

" _you leave without him or die with him_."

"I'm not leaving!" I gripped by dagger tighter. I was close to them now, close enough to see their awful teeth. Pointed, yellowed teeth. The speaker ruffled her glossy feathers.

All the stories of sirens had not prepared me for this. Women of the water, I had likened them to something similar to a mermaid. Maybe they were like seabirds, who could fly in the sky and dive into the ocean depths. Probably. The flutters I had heard! They had been flying around the ship! Spreading their deadly song, concealed by the fog.

The last one finally stopped singing and hissed at me, as I was closest to her.

"_then die_."

I dove at her, but she was faster, slipping to the side and clawing me as she past. She hovered a few feet in the air. Damn. I glanced around. She swooped down and I dove, my hand sinking into rotten flesh as I landed on a corpse, I gagged and pulled a sword from his sheath. I swung around, catching her across the stomach with the blade as she tried to come at me again. She may have talons and wings, but with a sword, I had the longer reach.

"_you dare fight an ancient one_?"

"I dare" I spat. She hissed and her sister closed in as well. C'mon Jack, snap out of it. One flew at me from above, the other closed in as I swerved her sister. Both got me with talons. One across the shoulder, the other just above my ear. I panted and stood defensive, waiting. Both hovered above me, launching down with twin screeches. I spun and twirled the blade. The siren on the left avoided it, the one on the right caught it in full. It went right through her perfect stomach. Dark blood spilled out and she wailed, a high pitched, blood curdling screech. Her sister keened. The one seducing Jack tossed him aside and Joined the fight. Jack didn't move. I hoped to god he was still alive.

Both flung themselves at me in fury, I stepped back, trying to avoid them but getting caught in the middle. I went for one and the other got me, three talons cut deep into my skin as she clawed at my back. I spun to face her and the other caught me, tossing my sword away and pinning my arms.

"_you killed our sister_!" she screeched in my ear, her breath smelled rotten. Her sister came close to my front, leaning foreword and showing her awful teeth.

" _for that. You will die slowly_." she hissed. She drug one talon slowly down my collarbone. Blood welled from the cut. She leaned down and licked it. Gross. I squirmed but her sister held me tight.

" _you taste good. For a female_."

" _she is such a pretty female, sister_." the other crowed, her talons digging into my arms. The one in front tilted her head thoughtfully, pressing her talons into my stomach and catching the bullet wound, I gasped in pain. She cackled with laughter and brought her bloody hand towards my face. I flinched away. She grabbed my shoulder, near my neck, her talons sinking deep. I choked down a scream that turned into a high pitched whine in my throat. They cackled louder.

" _such a pretty one indeed_." she hissed, bringing her other hand back up to my face. She placed one talon just above my left eye. The one holding me began singing softly in my ear. I whimpered besides myself. Her sister ran her wicked talon down across my eye, blood trickled down my face and I felt tears threaten to well up once more. This was how weak I was. This was how pathetic. This was-

**CRACK!**

My torturer fell in a heap at my feet, the other whirled away from me. I staggered on the spot.

"sorry, luv." Jack muttered.

"_my sister my sister! You vile creature_!" the last siren keened. He swung his pistol her direction and she screeched, taking to the sky and flapping madly away. Away and out of sight. A single black feather drifted behind her in the orange rays as the sun rose over the island.

"Jack." I whispered, my voice light and hoarse.

"yes, luv?"

" I really hate you right now." tears trailed down my face and he gazed at me with minor concern. Oh yes, I really hated Captain Jack Sparrow.

/

Authors note: I was a bit confused when it came to the sirens themselves, and I mostly based them off of the Greek myths. Hope you like it!


	5. Part V

**Part V : the bitter end of the deal.**

**1. **the compass.

I stared in the mirror, looking at all my new formed scabs. The ones in my shoulder where going to scar, they were deep, I was lucky she hadn't nicked anything life threatening. The scratches above my ear would heal fine, as would the punctures on my stomach, although one or two of those might leave a small scar. None of this bothered me. What bothered me was the scar I would have that started a centimeter above my left eye and ended a centimeter below it. It shouldn't have bothered me, I didn't lose that eye and it didn't affect my sight. But every time I looked at it I was ashamed. Ashamed at how scared I had been. Ashamed that I hadn't been brave enough to face them without flinching. Ashamed to know just how pathetic I was. I turned away from the mirror and left the captains cabin where I had been redressing my wounds. I put the hat back on my head. Jack hadn't earned it back yet and I was no longer the twelve year old who couldn't match his reach. Barbossa past me and grumbled. He still hadn't said thank you for saving his life. But I didn't what gratitude. I didn't deserve it.

"how long are you goin' to wallow in self pity, mate?" Jack appeared to my left.

I glared at him and he grinned.

"ye still haven't said thank ye either." he went on. I gritted my teeth.

"and are ye still so scared yer wearin' the hat?" he added.

I dove at him, reaching for his throat or any other part of him I could throttle. He dodged and tried to sock me n the gut. I swerved and made to punch his face, hooking my foot behind him and tripping him as I did so. He grabbed my collar as he fell, taking me with him. We landed with a soft thump on the deck, mainly because I landed on Jack. I sat up and started punching him, I hit him three times before he managed to flip me over, pinning me to the deck. I spat in his face. He sat on me and pinned both my hands with one of his own, using his other to wipe his face. Blood trickled down his lip.

"feel better yet?" he asked.

"not even close!" I growled. He frowned and looked me over. Starting from my chest and working his way up to the hat. He plucked it off my head and placed it on his own.

"well then, shall we dance, luv?" he jumped up and took off for the helm. I scrambled to my feet and chased after him. We faced each other with the wheel between us. I ran to the left, he to the right. We faced each other again on opposite sides. I fumed. He grinned. He ran back to the lower deck, I followed. Jack Sparrow has the weirdest run I have ever seen, and yet, it's rather effective. We dodged crewmen, cargo, a cannon, and Jack the monkey as we raced around the deck. We had made a full loop and were heading back to the helm when Barbossa tripped Jack, sending him in a quick stop and sudden drop to the deck.

"what in the blazes are ye two doin'?" he demanded. I came up to him, kicking Jack as I past.

" getting' exercise Captain." I grinned. As much as I hated to admit, Jack knew me to well. He changed my mood in a snap. And managed to keep the hat.

Barbossa grimaced and swept up the stairs to the helm. I helped Jack up.

"better now, luv?" he winced.

I nodded sheepishly.

"good. Since when could you pack a bloody punch?" he asked.

"since ye taught me to, Jack." I reminded him. He frowned.

"oh, yes. That. Well…get on with ye then." I grinned and headed up to the helm, he followed.

/

A few hours later I sat on the bow of the ship, watching the water ahead of us. The gentle sway of the Pearl and the warmth of the sun made me drowsy. But for what I needed to do, I felt all the more exhausted. I still had to deliver Teague's message, and at this rate Jack was never going to hear it. I kept telling myself to wait until Jacks ready, but that time might never come. Jack was never ready for anything, he just rolled with whatever was thrown his way and always seemed to come out standing. I clutched the pendant that hung from my neck.

The Heart of the Black Pearl. Jack had given it to me a few weeks before he left me behind with Anamaria. Jacks heart belonged to the Pearl and the sea, and the heart of the Pearl belonged to me. It used to be simple. But Jack's changed. when I tried to talk to him about immortality, he got an obsessed look in his eye. Teague had told me before about Jack wanting immortality, and Teague had told Jack that the trick isn't living forever, its living with yourself forever. Not only would Jack have to face himself for all eternity. He would have to do it over and over again as everyone around him grew old and died. As the world turned. As time changed. only it wouldn't be Jack leaving them behind. It would be everyone else leaving Jack. One by one. I groaned and rested my head in my hands.

The men on deck started making a fuss and I turned to see what for. There was an island in the distance, two of them actually, but so close together that it may have been one island some time in the past. The sight reminded me once more that I was wasting time by following Jack on this adventure, into the devils waters. As if I didn't have enough to bloody worry about. Jack the monkey skittered across the railing and hopped on my shoulder, chattering away. I pulled him into my arms and got up, stretching and heading back onto the deck. I went to the helm and leaned over Barbossa.

"droppin' in on another cursed island are we?" I asked. He grimaced and ignored me. I snorted and walked away, finding Jack(the person) and stealing his compass. He hardly even took note of me, he was too busy glaring at Barbossa's back. I leaned against the railing and opened the compass. It spun. And spun. I was about to give up when it settled. On Jack. Again. Then spun once more. I clipped it closed.

"damn." I sighed.

**2. **Twins

Guess how brilliant my captains are? Forget that we just got away from the isle of the sirens. Forget that this whole damned place is cursed! Lets go take a walk on this island and see what we can find!

Well guess what I've found so far? Oddly enough, the island was teaming with life. Bright healthy vegetation, exotic fruits, strange fish in the pools, clean, pure fresh water streams. The crew gorged themselves on the brightly colored fruits and lapped up water from the streams as we walked deeper and deeper into the island. I saw tons of animal tracks, mostly small game, and birdsong filled the air. Strange, but not unpleasant scents filled the air. The climate was hot and humid, and cooling as golden light filtered through the air. The sun had passed its highest point and now sank to that waiting horizon.

"I say we stay on the island for a night, then we load supplies in the morning and set off again, refreshed, rejuvenated and all that." Jack announced.

"don't use big words if you don't know what they mean , Jack." I muttered.

"aye, I agree, a night on land would do us good." Barbossa ignored me, as did Jack. I was almost surprised they had agreed, but then again, the island was beautiful.

"if we are stayin' here tonight, I suggest the crew bathe while they have the chance." I added. The crew muttered complaints.

"let me rephrase that, if we stay the night, I demand that the crew bathe, Jack included."

More complaints in which I silenced with a glare.

"and would ye be bathin' with the crew, miss Bella?" Barbossa implied. The crew brightened up at that. I laughed.

"of course I'll bathe as well, however, I am not bathin' with the crew, or even near the crew, as it would impede on my modesty." Jack snorted and then saved himself, lest I kill him.

"as we are all together, and as you are a part of the crew, would it not be, logically speaking, proper to bathe with the crew as to portray your equality, eh?" Jack inferred, I mischievous and lewd gleam in his eye.

"excuse me, but I would like to enlighten you that I am, in no way, equal to this ragged band of men that you call a crew."

"is that so?" Barbossa interrupted.

"yes, Hector." we stared each other down for a bit before he broke away and started grumbling. I basked in my victory for a moment before we headed off once more, searching out a clearing.

/

As sunset came upon us, the now clean crew sat around a bonfire, drinking, eating, singing badly and otherwise making a ruckus. I gave him a heavy kiss and broke away from Jack, who had been leaning on me for the last half hour, and wandered out of the clearing. When he was clean, the man actually did smell pleasant, and as long as you didn't inhale his breath, even kissing him was good. Jack really was a phenomenal kisser, and he could be tender when he tried. I headed through the darkening woods, stretching my legs and enjoying the cool night air. It was quite by chance I wandered far enough to reach the tree line, and the opposite beach.

I gasped at what I saw, all thoughts of Jack cast aside..

A band of water separated the two islands almost perfectly. The sun setting directly so that it seemed to set between the two islands, in line with the band of water. As I looked across the features of the other island were twin to the one on which my crew now rested. The same trees, same features, same places. The islands were not identical, they were exactly the same. Save for one aspect. My island was teaming with life. The island across from me was dead. Completely dead. The trees stood bare and stripped. The vegetation sat withered and the fruit hung rotten from the trees. No birdsong rifted to me, no animals darted in it's shadows. It was as desolate as my island was lush. Even as I stood there trying to understand, my body was content and my lids drooped. I shook my head trying to clear that pleasant fog from my brain.

The sun dipped lower and holding onto the thought still forming in my brain grew harder. The sun sat in a perfect half above the water, its reflection completing it, across the water opposite, the moon was the same. I yawned and sat in the sand. I was so sleepy. The balance shifted. The sun sank a little lower. The moon rose a little higher. The island across from me looked a little less dead. I slumped and my eyes felt so heavy. The sand was so comforting. The sun sank and the moon rose and, little by little my island died and the island across from us grew into life. That was odd, I thought. I'm so sleepy. I felt my energy sapping away. My pendent felt like ice against my skin. The pendant. The Heart of the Black Pearl. The heart of Jack's heart. It's really cold. Is Jack cold? I lifted my head and looked around. I bet Jacks warm. Maybe I should go lay next to Jack. But I'm so comfortable right here. I groaned and stood up, unsteady. I took slow, sleepy steps back to camp. I rubbed my eyes as the coals of the bonfire shone through the trees. Coals already? I was sure it was piled high when I left. Almost everyone was asleep. Jack wasn't. he lifted his head as he spotted me.

" where ye been, luv?" he asked. He sounded tired. I was tired to. We should just get some rest. But something was nagging my mind.

"I saw the other island." I murmured as I slumped down next to him.

" hmm?"

"it was dead. But now its coming alive. As this island dies." I yawned.

"what, luv?"

"hmm?" I snuggled closer to Jack and he startled up, cursing.

"what?" I exclaimed, bewildered.

"that's bloody damned cold!"

The heart of the pearl sat frigid against my skin. My heart beat loudly beneath it. I shivered. The thing nagging my mind came to me again. Still unclear.

Jack paused.

"did you say this island was dyin'?" he asked.

"yeah…."

It hit me like cold water and I sat bolt upright.

"Jack! We have to get off this island! Everyone has to get off this island or they're gonna die!"

"got that much , luv!" Jack started shouting and running around, kicking people, pouring rum on people. Leaves started falling from the trees, withering as they drifted down. I got up and started shoving crewman on their way.

"Back to the ship! Up, up, ye fools!"

Barbossa trudged over to me.

"what be the meanin' of this?" he demanded.

"this isle is cursed! We have to move!" I kicked another crewman and he rolled awake, groggy and confused. Jack's shouting was lost among the shouting of others. Slowly, too slowly, we rushed the crew awake and away.

"what de ye mean, Cursed?" he demanded once more.

"as in everythin' on this island is dyin' as everythin' on the other island comes to life!" I screeched at him, angry that he couldn't understand. A bird fell from the sky and landed between us, turning to bone and dust as we watched, the grass around it browning and withering as well.

"aye, we need to be getting' gone." his voice joined the shouts.

I kicked at another crewman. He didn't move. I poured rum over him. Nothing. I shoved my foot into his stomach. Nothing. I stared down in horror as he paled. As his hair grew thin and brittle and grey. As his skin thin and shrank and aged. As his life seeped away. As his flesh began to rot. As the rot sank and fell and began to dry. As it shed away from his bones and bleached to dust. As the dust settled in the cloths that wrapped his bones. I stared at the bones. Frozen in shock and distress. My insides turned as cold as the pendant against my skin. Jack grabbed me by the arm and ran, dragging me with him. We ran through a of the dead, running from death itself.

**3. **Just bad timing.

"Fine go off and live forever! By yourself! I don't care!" I yelled. I had tried to approach him to discuss his hunger for immortality and work myself up to delivering Teague's message. The message would only burden Jack.

"obviously ye do, Luv, or you wouldn't have brought it up!"

"Don't call me Luv! Obviously I'm not your love Jack!"

"what the bloody hell is that suppose to mean!"

" oh, you are dense Captain! You need to look around you Jack!"

"what? Why?" he glanced at the edges of his vision as though something was closing in on him.

"Take. A. Good. Long. Look!" I spat through gritted teeth. "see this world Jack, have ye actually looked at it!"

"the point, Bella."

"it's leavin' you behind Jack."

"so what, I have the sea and the sea is all I need."

"that's just it Jack. You don't need anyone else, and you better hope you never do."

"why?"

"because they won't be there Jack!"

"…." he glared at the mast.

" this is a dyin' age Jack. We're a dyin' breed. Soon enough I won't be able to find freedom here anymore. And neither will you."

"I'll always find freedom, luv, it's right here!" he spread his arms wide.

"for you Jack. Go ahead and get your immortality.-"

"Fine! I will"

"fine! And you'll have your freedom. For now. Maybe for the next hundred years, but eventually Jack, your freedom will become your prison. And you'll bear that prison alone."

" prison, if my prison is my freedom then what's the problem, eh? All the rum I could drink, all the women I could have-"

" and all the time in the world. For you. You'll watch this age die. You'll watch all of us die. That doesn't make ye the last one standing Jack. It makes you the last one left behind."

"an what's wrong with that, I'm fine with it mate, doesn't bother me, Savvy?"

"how could ye bear it Jack? How could you stand yourself?"

"…."

" Teague warned you. Go live forever Jack. Go live with yourself forever."

" you could come with me." he stated after a long pause.

I shook my head, a sad smile on my face. I was past being angry.

"no Jack. I'm not you. this is my world, here, now. I don't think I could make it to forever, Jack. I'd lose myself."

" I'd keep you here. We could do it, luv. Us and the sea, forever."

Again I shook my head.

" no Jack. That's not what I want. That's never what I wanted." I said wistfully.

" then what did ye want, Bella luv?"

I pulled the silver chain over my head, the Heart of the Black Pearl hanging from the end. It gleamed brightly. I placed it in my hand and the chain pooled around it.

"I wanted this." I murmured softly. " I wanted it so much and I still don't have it. I won't ever have it. Not now, not in forever." I held it out to him, the pendant slid from my hand and swung gently from the end of the chain.

"here, take it."

For the first time, Jack looked truly stricken. His gorgeous eyes looked troubled and pained in disbelief. He grabbed the pendant slowly, as though it might burn him, and once he had it safely in his palm he closed his hand around it, almost cradling it. His eyes flicked up to mine and I looked away. I truly hated Jack Sparrow. And this was why. I hated the man because I loved him. I loved him so much it hurt.

And right now I had just hurt him worse than I ever have. And I still had on more thing to send his way.

" Teague's dyin' Jack. As keeper of the code he named two heirs. You and me, but it's your choice, Jack, he left you that, should you not go in time to see him again." I turned away so I didn't have to see him look at me. I didn't want to see the expression on his handsome face.

/

_I had always wondered about Jack's magic compass, hell, I'd always wondered about Jack. About Jack and about what exactly I felt for him. I couldn't describe it, that elusive feeling. At first I thought it was friendship, that every time I saw him it just made me happy. Then I thought it lust when I couldn't stop staring at him, the way he walked, the way his muscles moved, his amazing eyes and powerful body. I grew worried when I thought it had become obsession, as he filled my thoughts and occasionally, my dreams. Now I think it's something different, as I sat here huddled over his magic compass, rain drizzling down. I glanced again from that arrow to Jack at the helm. It was pointing at Jack. I'd been sitting over the compass for nearly an hour now, watching the arrow follow Jack without fail, without the slightest waver. So Jack was what I wanted most. I guess that meant I love him. Love. Not even I, with my clever mind and quick wits, had ever dreamt of love. So it was love, I was in love with Jack Sparrow. And now I'm in trouble with Jack Sparrow. He headed down the steps of the helm, and with no doubt, he made strait for me. I watched until he came to stand over me, water running off his(our) hat._

"_hi Captain Jack."_

"_hello, luv. Is that my compass?"_

"_yes." I answered with a grin, receiving one in return. He crouched down to my level, putting the hat on my head._

" _and ye have it because?"_

"_I wanted to see if it really worked, or if ye were just mad."_

"_and am I just plain mad?"_

"_aye. But the compass works too."_

"_so what is it you want most?" he asked. I glanced at the arrow, still fixed at him._

" _I don't want to be left behind." I don't want you to leave me behind._

"_worried are ye?" he chuckled._

_I looked at him somberly._

"_everyone leaves me behind." everyone. No one bothered with me. Not my parents who abandoned me. Not the strangers who I pleaded for help. Not the shopkeepers whom I begged for food. Not the Navy who couldn't have bothered with a little orphan girl, crying in the street. No one had bothered to lend a hand. So I had helped myself. I shed away my name and gave myself a new one, after the bells I heard from the docks. I took what I needed, and eventually what I took anything I wanted. It had become a game. A dangerous one. I stole for fun. Then everyone bothered. The strangers watched out for the street urchins. The shopkeepers paid attention to the suspicious. The Navy sought the thieves. After awhile, I made sure everyone bothered to care, in one form or another._

"_is that so?"_

_I nodded._

"_well then, how 'bout we make a deal?" he had my attention, then again, he'd always had it._

"_what sort of deal?" I asked. He stood, I did as well._

"_a special deal." he was as vague as ever. Classic Jack._

" _like a promise?" I elaborated for myself. My wet hair clung to my skin, and standing up, some of my heat left me, but the hat was warm._

"_somethin' like that." he swaggered over to the railing, leaning over it, propped on his elbows. I followed and copied his posture. I swear he does it just so that he seems mysterious. I had to admit that it worked. _

"_and the deal would be…..?" he kept passing something from one hand to the other, something dark and shiny. Rain dripped off of him, but he didn't even seem to notice._

" _**I'll never leave ye behind, if you'll never stay behind." **_

"_could you please tell me what the bloody hell that's suppose to mean?" I asked, exasperated with his antics._

_He turned to me and I turned to face him, waiting. He held the object out for me to see._

"_do ye know what this is, luv?"_

" _a piece of jewelry?" it was a black pearl pendant, the pearl nestled in silver barnacles and small silver sea creatures._

"_not just a piece of jewelry, luv, this, this is the Heart of the Black Pearl, one of a kind."_

"_wait, do you mean it's the heart of the Black Pearl? The Black Pearl as in your ship?" I asked._

"_aye, luv. The one and only." he draped the chain around my neck, I found the weight of the pendant comforting, even if it was cold._

"_you love that ship, why are you givin' this to me?"_

"_to mark our promise, but I want the hat!" he snatched it from my head, placing it on his own once more with a grin._

"_you still haven't told me what it means!"_

"_you'll figure it out, yer clever enough. So do we have an accord?" he held out a sea-tanned hand._

"_ah…eh…yeah…yes. Yes we do, Captain Jack." I shook it with a grin._

"_good then." And with that, he strolled away leaving me bewildered, and peaceful, for the first time in a long time._

_/_

I avoided Jack for the rest of the day, like the coward I was. I hid mostly within the bowels of the ship, away from everyone in general. The weight of what I had just done pressing down on me. I wanted to lash out. At someone. Anyone. Anything. But the thing is, I was to damn clever. I wouldn't lash out at Jack, not anymore, I'd hurt him enough. I wouldn't lash out at the crew, who were as innocent as they could be in this matter. And I wouldn't lash out at the ship, because the ship would always win and I'd look like a fool. So eventually, when I couldn't stand myself anymore, I hauled myself back up to the deck with a sword in hand. It was a well-balanced blade, folded steel, silver filigree in the black handle. I liked the feel of it. I tried to slink up to the helm, I didn't have to. Jack was nowhere in sight.

"Barbossa….."

"what, lass?"

"care to duel?" I asked morosely. He eyed me like I was insane.

"lass, why would I duel with an opponent who looks as though she could barely lift the sword in her hand, let alone fight with zest!"

"I'll show you…zest…." the word was weird. I lifted my sword and swiped at him, he ducked and back away from the wheel.

"will ye now?" he drew his own blade. "then perhaps I would care for a duel."

he dove at me, I parried the blade with a clash of metal. The man is seriously stronger than he looks. I flipped my cutlass as went to swipe his feet from under him. He jumped with an attack of his own. I blocked. He feinted a strike to my left, switching hands mid swing and bringing it around. Cold steel bit into my skin just a the tip of my ear where he paused his blade.

"that'd be my point."

I pushed the blade away.

"again.

**4.** which way we goin' Jack?

Over the next few days we avoided two more islands and the duels between me and Barbossa become common. Ever so slowly the ratio of wins to losses bent in my favor until we were even enough that the crew started making bets. I was still avoiding Jack. It was after one such duel that we paused to notice the very man I was avoiding, pacing the helm rather frantically.

"what's got into him?" I puzzled.

"Jack," Barbossa called. " whatcha be doin' Jack?"

"what. nothing. Why?"

"cas yer lookin' awful crazed up there, Jack." Jack curled his lip in distaste and shook his compass. Then he bent over the navigational charts.

"I think he's lost." I whispered to Barbossa, who grumbled and trudged up to the helm. I followed. Jack was hovering over his compass chanting 'I know what I want I know what I want'. the arrow continued to waver.

"apparently not." Barbossa growled, earning himself a glare from Jack.

"bloody damn compass." he muttered before shaking it again in anger. The arrow kept spinning between northwest and east. To the northwest was supposedly the fountain of youth. To the east was shipwreck cove. Far, far to the east. Shipwreck cove and me, since I happened to be standing east of Jack. I tried not to look to deeply into that.

"I ain't dealin' with yer indecision now, I'm to close te me goal to turn back, Jack" Barbossa warned him.

"we ain't turnin' back, Savvy!" Jack insisted, glaring at me.

"get yer head strait or give that to me, that damn compass is the only thing guiding' us through these cursed waters." the tattered feather on Barbossa's hat shook violently as he spoke.

"me head is strait!" Jack growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. His head was strait, his heart was not.

"Jack. All you have to do is give me yer answer, if that's what's botherin' you." I interrupted. Both men spun towards me, Jack quiet, Barbossa decidedly not.

" if ye get in the way, lass, I'll kill ye, I ain't gettin' lost now, not when we're so close." Barbossa spoke with a fervor in his eye. He was a possessed man and I didn't doubt his words for even a second. It's not like it wasn't in his nature to begin with. Jack said nothing.

"which island is it on?" I asked.

"eh?" he looked taken aback, or as taken aback as he could get.

"the fountain, where is it s'pose to be?" for the time I had been with them, I hadn't actually noted where the fountain was said to be located. Barbossa grumbled to himself and spun the charts, pointing at the map.

"there it be lass, the fountain of youth." I bent over the charts, where he was pointing was two small chains of islands, near each other so that if you were to connect them you would find yourself with a wobbly oval. There were at least seven little specks were he pointed.

"which one?" I asked.

"accordin' to a Spanish explorer by the name of Ponce de León, the fountain is suppose to be here, the largest isle in this chain."

"he never found it?"

"accordin' to record, no. but if ye managed to find the key to immortality, ye wouldn't be tellin' everyone else were to find it, now would ye?" Barbossa implied.

"no. but if the fountain is there, what can we expect to be there as well?" you didn't just stroll in and grab immortality, it couldn't be that easy.

" legend says it's unreachable, except by those who don't desire to reach it."

"why would ye go if ye didn't want it?"

"it's legend ,lass, expect hardships, just don't take it too literally."

"hmph. What about the obstacles then? I thought there were creatures in these waters? Creatures of the abyss and all that."

" don't jinx us lass, we be skirtin' the edges of this bloody triangle, we were lucky to have had it this easy so far."

"you thought that was easy?"

"aye. Compared to what could be next."

We had no idea.

/

In the grey of twilight, the color seemed to leech from the world around us. Blues and greens of the sky and sea turned to grays, even the colors of the men and their cloths seemed to fade away into the eerie twilight. The choppy sea did nothing to ease the tense feeling that fell over ship and crew. Sounds faded with the color, and In a single moment, it shattered.

The deck lurched beneath our feet and we all stumbled, shouts ringing out. My stomach felt as though it rose into my throat as I wobbled across the deck, arms swinging out in attempts at balancing myself, failing attempts. A slightly louder ruckus was coming from the port side and I stumbled my way over to see what the men were seeing. As I hit the railing I heard the man to my left praying to god. I looked to the water beneath us to see a very large, webbed spine. From what I could see the creature beneath us was a little larger around than the _Black Pearls _main mast, without including the creatures webbed spine, and probably the same length as the mast as well. The webbed spine stood, at the highest points, probably three to four feet high. The creature I was beginning to think was a sea serpent, was mottled grey-blue in color. I hadn't even seen the head yet. I hoped I wouldn't get to. It was immense in it's size and strong enough to rock the _Black Pearl _, that's more than enough information for me. The creature slid through the waves with ease, its spiky ridges the only thing we saw above the surface as it swam away from the ship, turned back, and disappeared. I ran to the upper decks and the helm.

" Jack, Barbossa!"

"we see it lass!"

"so what are our orders?"

Barbossa grinned manically at me.

"hold on." he cackled. I glanced back to the water. The webbed ridges rose just above the water, streaming in a perfect line to the black pearl. Without further encouragement I wrapped my arms around the railing just as the creature hit the ship once more. The Pearl groaned and heaved. I hit the railing with quite an impact, groaning myself at the bruising pain I would now have on top of my other injuries. Following Jack was going to kill me. The serpent disappeared once more, only to the opposite side of the ship.

"is it gone?" some asked in a quiet shout.

"nay! Brace yerself lads!" Barbossa hollered. We waited in silence. Thump-thump. I listened to my heartbeat. To my breath. Thump-thump. Silence.

The force that hit us was greater than before, the ship heaved and shuddered, groaning loud ad even through that we could hear the breaking of planks, the crashing of the cargo beneath us. The shouts and screams of men filled the air. The ship heaved so violently we were tossed. This time I didn't just hit the railing, I went right over it, my arms still wrapped around it. I wasn't the only once to go over either, I saw a crewman fly free of the deck and into the grey waves below.

My hands slipped as I hit the outside edge of the ship, facing the sea and my vision focusing back in fast enough for me the see the spine of the serpent turn back toward us. I clung the rough wood of the railing above me and prayed I could hold on long enough. Rigging lines hung loose over the ship but none within my reach. The spine I the water came closer. I tried to adjust my grip. The spines came nearer and slowed, rising from the water. My left hand slipped a quarter inch, I grunted with the effort of try to hold on. The spines stopped coming and I almost sighed in relief, except that a form rose from the water as the serpent raised its head. The first thing that I saw were the wide, long fin-ridges that started just behind the creatures eye ridges and extended down the back of the head and along the jaw, standing nearly six feet in length behind the head. Next came the eyes, wide and round, hey were lid-less and pale, like an eels. Next was the snout, which was not particularly long in proportion to the rest of the head, it was mostly smooth except for the small ridges between it's slitted nostrils, and just behind the nostrils it had, thin, long whiskers, similar almost to a catfish. The mouth was rounded and smooth on the outside, and wasn't until it opened its mouth and hissed that I saw the two rows of black fangs, that sprang out like a sea snakes once the mouth was opened. Water rushed off the creatures enormous head as it rose, dripping and streaming back into the choppy sea beneath. The head rose out, and it looked right at me. I slipped another inch and rough hands grabbed me as the serpent mouth opened in a thundering hiss. Jack pulled me up and over just as it sprang, the impact rocking the ship and breaking the railing where I'd been moments before. The broken pieces splintering and getting thrown away from the sheer force of it.

"that's not a safe place to be hangin' about, luv."

"thanks ,Jack."

"now let's say we get rid of old terrible beastie, eh?" he held out a hand.

"aye aye, Captain Jack." I grabbed his hand and he hauled me up. Feeling aside, we still had things needed doing.

/

Apparently Jack's dealt with oversized sea cretins before, because he had a plan, a highly logical plan, in fact. A highly logical plan that would never work, because the truth of the matter was that the plan had worked on the Kraken, unsuccessfully, and was not compatible with our current creature. He realized this fact mid-lecture.

"well then what else have we got?"

"we got cannons don't we? Just blast it into oblivion!"

"and how do ye suppose we get such a shot as to 'blast it to oblivion', eh lass?"

"…bait?"

The ship shuddered again and I hoped our keel could survive the beating.

"and what do ye suppose we use for bait?"

"…."

/

So I ended up with the bitter end of the deal, as always. Sitting outside the railing of the ship with a lifeline, a bleeding hand, and a cannon porthole beneath me. I watched scarlet drops fall into the grey sea beneath me, dissipating in the waves.

Soon enough that tell-tale spine curved through the water strait for us. My heart skipped a beat as it slid ever closer, finally slowing down as the steady drip of blood caught it's attention.

The waves parted as the serpent began to raise up its head, the cannon took aim.

"wait." I hissed.

Those pale, unblinking eyes eyed the ship. The head rose further.

"steady." c'mon , c'mon.

It's slitted nostrils flared. The large jaw began to open as it prepared to strike.

"take aim! Fire!" I shouted as its jaws spread wide with an intense hiss. The blast of cannon fire rang in my ears as it shot out, right into the mouth of the beast. The tearing force of the chained cannonballs mangled its jaw, nearly ripping through it as easily it would an enemy mast. With a gurgling roar the serpent dove beneath the water, the last we saw of it was its wide finned tail as it lifted from the surface and sank once more to the grey depths. Cheers erupted on deck.

I allowed myself no such joy. My arm was numb and spots swam before my eyes. I really had lost too much blood lately.


	6. Part VI

**Part VI : old friends**

**1. **Sea sick?

The world spun in front of my eyes and bile rose in my throat; I gagged. Forcing myself to relax I allowed my body to do what it wanted to: throw up. Not that I had much left to throw up at this point. The churning sea was ever present, mirroring the feeling in my stomach as I crouched by the railing.

Of all the wounds I received lately, it was the one I volunteered for that got infected. My luck is nonexistent at this point. I wish I could steal Jacks.

"you look terrible, luv." speak of the devil.

"thanks for the encouragement, Jack, I feel so much better." I groaned sarcastically.

"how's the hand?" he winced.

I lifted my arm and began unwrapping bandages from the swollen appendage. I dropped the dirty bandages to the deck and showed the wound to him. He looked like he stifled a gag. I couldn't blame him. The wound was swollen, discolored, and weeping. It oozed constantly and the urge to itch it was driving me mad. I washed it and changed bandages constantly and it only seemed to be getting worse. The hand throbbed and the infection had begun to bother my arm, and today, I had started throwing up. The one time I had dared to look into the mirror I regretted it. I was pale, shaky, running a fever, and you could tell it all. I had dark circles under my eyes, which were bloodshot, I was sweating, and losing weight from lack of an appetite.

"it looks-"

"no way you finish that sentence is going to make me feel better."

"…..what was your plan?" and he finally gets to the point.

"plan for what?"

" after ye delivered yer message. Did ye think I would just turn around and go back?"

"no." I sighed.

"then what were ye thinkin'?"

"….I'll never leave you behind, if you'll never stay behind." I whispered.

Silence stretched between us.

"I meant it." he whispered back.

"I know, Jack. I always knew that. I meant it too."

He frowned at the ground. Neither of us was good at this.

" I just have to break that promise." I continued.

"why?"

"because where your goin' , I can't follow."

" well that's unfortunate, luv, cas I'm not leavin' you behind now." he leaned down and placed the pendant around my neck once more. It was warm.

I laughed.

"too much longer in this condition and ye won't have the choice, Jack." I wheezed.

"lass, if ye could die from somethin' like this, yer not as tough as I thought."

"everyone's luck runs out sometime, Captain Jack."

"I thought you made yer own luck, luv?"

I thought that over in silence for awhile.

"Land ho!" a crewman called. Another island coming up.

"why do they bother with that?" I mused. We had passed by already over a dozen islands.

"cas we be stoppin' at this one." Barbossa answered me, seeming to appear without a sound, as was in his creepy nature, Jack the monkey perched on his shoulder.

""What?"" Jack and I asked at the same time.

"aye. Seems we have unwanted baggage aboard that we have need to be releivin' ourselves of." he continued.

" eh?" I grunted stupidly. My head had started spinning again.

"yer getting' off, lass."

"eh?" Jack started in surprise.

" and , Jack, should ye be disgruntled at leavin' her behind, yer welcome to join her on that spit of land." he finished.

"it's my compass ye need, Barbossa! Ye won't be leavin' me behind and I ain't leavin' her behind!" Jack threatened.

"I could just as easily take yer compass and drop yer body to the depths!"

"as if ye could control it, I can hardly stop it from spinnin' lately!"

"I ain't got no question where me desires lay, Jack! I'll find that island with or without ye, we be nearly there already!"

" do ye honestly even believe that-"

"stop it!" I huffed. Oh, how I needed to throw up. "stop it…just….stop…I'll go…Jack, you'll stay."

"Bella-" I jumped to my feet and lurched over the side, heaving. The railing bit into my hands as I clutched it in pain. Finally when the tremors slowed and my body calmed for another few moments I looked up, at the island ahead. It was larger than most of the islands we passed already. It had a wide open, white sand beach right up to a tropical array of trees and plants that spanned the island in a dense forest. It was beautiful. More so than the island that nearly sucked the life out of us. It had almost an unearthly feel to the sight. Something of the divine.

" Bella…." Jack started again. Barbossa cut him off.

" well, lass, the plank be waitin'." Jack rounded on him angrily.

"Jack, knock it off! I'll stay here while you go grab yer…immortality….then ye better get yer ass back here and pick me up!" I groaned. He set his jaw stubbornly.

Barbossa carried a rum bottle in his hand, I snatched it and took a swig, swishing it around in my mouth and spitting it into the sea. I turned back to Jack, who had yet to move. His clever eyes searched mine for what he knew already.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him as I walked the side of the deck to the plank. A few crewman lingered around it, but not many. This was not a mutiny, it was a drop-off. I stood in front of it and turned around.

"Jack,-" I didn't get to finish. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. The whiskers on his face prickled my skin. Heat radiated off of him, and he must have washed up recently because he didn't smell like stale rum and sweat. He smelled like the sea and something just a little bit spicy, although I had no idea were that came from. I embraced him fully, kissing him back. Right there, in his arms, I felt that maybe love wasn't so bad. When we finally split apart I breathed in his scent one last time.

" I'll be back for ye, luv."

"I'll hold you to it."

"so we have an accord?"

"so we do."

I turned and stepped onto the plank, but was stopped as a crewman came foreword with my affects. My belt was returned to me, on it was my sword, my bandana, and a string that held the rings which belonged on my currently infected hand. I slung the belt around my waist and secured it, pulling off the bandana and tying it over my dark curls.

I bowed to Jack.

"till the tides turn in our favor."

I bid him goodbye and let myself fall from the plank and into the warm waters below. He leapt foreword and watched as I swam back to the surface, gulped air, and swam for shore.

**2. **the warning

I stumbled across the white sand and fell, lying there in it's sun-heated cushion. I rolled over, sand stuck to me wherever I had touched it. I watched that ship sail away. Till the tides turned in our favor. The Heart of the Black Pearl still sat warm against my skin, reminding me.

' _I'll never leave you behind, if you'll never stay behind' _

That promise had kept me going for years, and I had never wavered from it. I kept moving foreword, never staying around to wait for Jack. If I didn't stay behind, he couldn't leave me behind. We never said goodbye to each other. Saying goodbye meant we were splitting ways, and we had been years and worlds apart, without ever splitting ways. I always had Jack, no matter what, and Jack always had me.

This world isn't kind. Jack wanted to live forever, and I was to scared to follow him that far. I was the one breaking our promise and Jack was the one feeling guilty about it. That was the _idea_, right? So why was it all too true? I still remember Teague warning me, the day I left.

/

_I slid down a banister and jogged through two corridors and a den, pausing outside the final entrance when I heard his wracking cough on the other side. I touched the smooth frame of the entrance and hesitated._

"_Teague?"_

" _what, little missy?"_

_I stepped through the entrance and set my jaw stubbornly._

"_I'm in me mid-twenties! I'm not a little missy anymore!" he chuckled and gestured for me to sit down before he picked up his mandolin and began strumming away softly. I sat in a faded ornamental chair and waited uncomfortably._

" _there's a ship and a crew waitin' to take ye to Singapore." he stated. I jumped up in alarm._

"_what?"_

"_sit!" he barked, causing another bout of coughing. I sat._

" _I need ye to find Jack."_

"_why now?" I asked, puzzled._

"_we all know I'm dyin' , missy. I have responsibilities to take care of first."_

"_c'mon, Teague, ye'll get over it, you always do." I pleaded gently._

" _I need ye to deliver a message to Jackie." he stated firmly, leaving me little to no room to argue. Of course I knew he was dying. I just wouldn't admit it, wouldn't accept it. I was being left behind. Again._

"_what message?"_

" _I named Jackie and you acceptable to replace me as Keeper of the Code. Jackie's never settled down, never had a place to return to, I want him to have the choice."_

_I nodded. Teague loved Jack, and even now was looking out for him. I could understand that fact, but why send me?_

"_if ye can convince him, I have thing's I need to say to Jackie. things he needs to hear, before I pass on." ah, so that's why he's sending me._

"_finally going to give him your secrets?". I asked in well faked innocence._

_Teague gave me a mission and a means. The job was to make Jack come back, the means was Jack's own heart._

"_now listen closely, Bella. I know what that necklace means, even if ye don't."_

"_I know what it means, Teague." I know just exactly what Jack had left me. Had left with me. And I knew exactly what Teague wanted me to do with it. He nodded and slid his fingers gently over the strings of his instrument._

_Jack had learned well about how to survive from Teague, then Jack had learned for himself, and I had learned well from Jack. We all knew each other too well. Jack had known I'd loved him when he gave me the pendant. Just as I had come to learn that Jack loved me in his own way, but that was not what my pendant represented._

_Jack had made a bet by giving me the necklace, he had made me his final way out, if all else failed. His final escape. I was Jacks escape from himself. And I knew it. But Jack didn't know I knew it. He would still think I was a love-struck lass who followed him like a puppy._

_I had long since realized the truth. I loved Jack, that was inescapable, but Jack would not love me back, not in the same way, he would use me to his own end and then leave me. That's how he survived, and that's what I came to learn from him. Jack wouldn't come back to settle down and be keeper of the code, but I could make him come back by using his heart against himself. And I would do it, because I owed Teague. I owed Teague a lot._

"_Teague."_

_He looked up, his eyes sparking with an energy and knowing, as they often did._

" _can you do it, little missy?"_

"_of course." I said stubbornly._

" _Bella, it's not gonna be easy, what I'm askin' of you. Can I trust you to do it, with whatever means necessary?"_

_I nodded and he sighed, continuing as though I hadn't understood._

" _Can you play on his heart without breakin' your own, and even then, finish the task?"_

_I owed Teague. No matter what I felt, this was the only favor he had ever asked of me, and would probably be his last favor to ask. I would bring Jack back for him, I owed him that much._

"_yes."_

_/_

Teague had been right, as usual. I had let the idea become real, and I had hurt myself in the process. I'd done the job, as far as I could. Jack would come back for me, but I needed him to go back for Teague. Teague would have a back-up plan, should I fail, or should he die before I succeeded. I knew as much. But I still had to make sure Jack returned to shipwreck cove to discover what was left to him.

So how do I do that now?

I sat there band drank the rest of the rum, emptying the bottle as I lay there on that white beach, the sun beating down.

I lay there and let my thoughts drift for as long as I could, until the need to throw up pierced me and I rolled over onto my hands and knees, heaving. Sand stuck to the infected wound and at the sight of it, I gagged. The cut was swollen, the discoloration so severe my hand seemed streaked in purple ,white and red. Clear liquid oozed from it along with pus. And sand stuck to it all, increasing the itch and the burn. I cursed and whimpered and groaned as I crawled back to the water, trying to wash it out.

"do you need help?" giggled a very musical voice. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound, my yelp caught in my throat.

I gaped at the head that floated in the water about two yards away. She appeared to be a young woman, she had very sleek, fine features and bronzed skin. Her wide eyes were orange in color, I mean truly orange, like clouds at sunset. Her hair was more a red than her eyes, and it seemed very thick, and springy, reminding me more of the whiskers of a shrimp than human hair. More odd than that was that she seemed to have no ears. So yes, I gaped.

She tilted her head quizzically.

"I..I…"

She giggled again and her head disappeared under the water, appearing a moment later only a few feet to my left. That's when I really saw her. She was…a mermaid? Red-ish orange scales grew on her dark skin from where her ears should have been, trailing down her neck and along her collarbone, covering most of her flat chest and dipping down over where her belly button should have been to spread out where it met her tail.

"your...yer…a…."

"mermaid!" she giggled delightedly. I managed to close my mouth and nod in absolute dumbfounded agreement.

"do you need help?" she asked again. I continued nodding until she dove forward and grabbed my hand, dragging me under the water. I was calm from shock up until I realized she was taking me into deeper water and farther down. Unlike her, I was unable to breath underwater. I tried to free my hand but as the one she was gripping was my good hand, I couldn't pry her strong fingers off with pain searing my every attempt.

"calm down." she ordered, I was surprised that her lilting, musical voice could still reach me clearly under the water. I tried to relax as she sped us through the water, an attempt that failed when everything went abruptly dark. I struggled in her grip once more and gasped when the infected cut felt like it broke open. I immediately choked and tried to spit without inhaling anymore. I felt my head go fuzzy as my body tried to pass out. An attempt in which it succeeded.

**3. **Choices.

The pressure on my head seemed to lessen as I woke up feeling sick on a whole new level.

"Blair! You nearly drowned her!" a softly chiding voice reached my ears.

" how was I suppose to know?" my all so helpful mermaid replied.

" humans can't breath underwater silly!" came another voice. Oh my head hurt! I groaned and tried to move.

"ooh! She's awake!" my eyes felt heavy as I tried to pry them open to see where the hell I was and if I was dead yet. My heart was still beating so apparently I had survived. Damn.

"what?" I mumbled, my fuzzy vision beginning to clear. Four figures loomed over me, I recognized Blair's by her brightly colored hair, but not the other three.

"are you okay?" asked a mermaid with dark maroon hair, bright yellow eyes, and patches of red-and-maroon scales over her creamy colored skin.

"I'll survive." I grunted, trying to sit up and they backed away, sliding off the small island on which I lay and back into crystal clear water. I looked around to find that we were in a very large cave, underground, I think, because of the several skylight holes above us. Crystal and other minerals grew in the walls, reflecting the bright light throughout the cave, I could also spot a few tunnels leading out of here. Besides the little island on which I lay, there was only another little bank of rock along the wall of the cave. When I propped myself up, I felt something very wet, and very slimy on my infected hand. I shuddered at the odd sensation and lifted my hand so I could examine it.

My hand appeared to be wrapped in seaweed, or some plant similar, and under the seaweed was some type of ointment, almost blue in color.

"what's in my hand?" I asked, flexing my fingers and pleased to find only small twinges of pain now.

"medicine, from plants that grow on our island." the reply was given to me by an older mermaid, she had olive-toned skin, dark olive hair pulled aside into a braid, and matching scales, with bright sea-green eyes that stood out in color.

"I've never seen anything like it." I murmured airily. The mermaids giggled at me. The one who had yet to speak looked even younger than Blair, she had very pale skin and soft silver scales, her hair was also silver, but it was short and stuck out in all directions, her eyes were a beautiful myriad of colors that danced with laughter.

"what are yer names?" I asked.

" I'm Simca!" the maroon haired girl introduced herself.

" Pelone." the olive-toned woman replied.

" Yslie." the little mermaid added.

"Blair, Simca, Pelone, and Yslie." I repeated. " my names Bella. Could ye tell me were I be?"

" on the island of course! The wandering isle, I think mortals call it?" Blair answered me. I nodded as though I had a clue about what she just said.

"the wandering isle?" I questioned again.

"well, it moves, it's blessed by Calypso, just like all of us!" Pelone replied. Great, Jack, have fun finding the place.

"uh-huh. And you live here?"

"yep." she giggled. I had to smile at their cheery-ness. My stomach growled loudly and I winced at the very thought of eating. All four of them burst out in giggles, Blair dove forward and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the water while the others disappeared beneath the surface. I held my breath as we too went under.

/

When we surfaced again we were outside, in a very large spring, with nearly a dozen other mermaids. Oddly enough, I couldn't spot a single male. I let that thought go as a group of mermaids surrounded me, touching my hair and cloths as though I was the oddest thing they'd ever seen. I yelped when the started pulling of my boots and messing with my feet. Most of them were giggling and laughing, the ones who weren't were still smiling though.

"uh…um…" I stuttered for words as I tried to swim towards the bank. Now that I cared to look, most of them seemed like young women or children, the oldest one here was Pelone, who appeared to be in her thirties.

"let her breath!" called out one of the older mermaids. Several whines and giggles later I scrambled onto the bank, my soaked clothing weighing me down. If I had to guess, I would say that this hot water spring was in the center of the island, and by the looks of it, it stretched through the entirety of the 'forest' in some way or another. Just looking around my immediate area I could spot underground entrances and deep pools, shallow streams and a small waterfall, and plenty of vegetation. Some of the entrances or rock surfaces had crabs carved into the stone, crabs and sea shells. And some of these trees and plants I had never seen before, it all held a strange beauty to it. Didn't she say this island was blessed by Calypso?

" why is it only girls here?" I asked Yslie, who was wading nearby. She looked at me with her shimmering eyes and stayed silent for a moment.

"we died at sea. Sometimes Calypso will save the soul of a woman who died at sea and let her be reborn, as a mermaid. We are Calypso's handmaidens. Her servants. We grow up here, on this island she made for us." for as young as she seemed, she was very literate.

"oh…" I really didn't know what to say, so I trailed off, drifting into awkward silence. She assessed me with her wide open eyes and remained in silence with me.

"most of them forget what happened. When they were human." she said. " but I dream sometimes, of a different life." it was odd listening to her, her voice so old and yet so young. She spoke with that sort of wisdom children often have.

"…"

" do you have a family?" she asked.

"…no. not anymore."

"what happened?"

"they abandoned me, when I was little. I was on my own for the longest time. Then a man came along, a witty, tricky, wonderful man and he saved me."

" did you love him?"

"yes…I loved him so much it hurt."

"did he love you back?"

" …. maybe." I sighed.

"maybe? How do you not know if he loved you or not?"

"because he's difficult, and cunnin', and confusin' as hell. He's like the sea, I can look at him, see him, feel him, but every time I reach out, he'll just slip through my fingers. Just out of reach."

She pondered this for a moment. A trio of young mermaids started swimming towards us.

" did he give you that necklace?"

I looked down, the pendant wasn't even visible.

"how did you-" the trio burst out into giggles and laughter as they touched my feet that hung over the bank and into the water.

" yes. He did." I finished.

"then he loves you. I can feel it in the pendant, like a radiating gem, or a hot coal. it ties you to him." And with that, she turned and dived under the water, her beautiful silver tail glimmering under the surface as she swam away, leaving me speechless.

"she's right you know!" said one of the trio playing at my feet, a little blonde with red eyes and creamy-yellow scales.

"what?"

"we can all feel it! That pendant. It's blessed too! And it shines like a beacon." added the girl to her left, who had dark skin and light brown scales, her light brown hair tied into pigtails on either side of her head, leaving rich chocolate colored eyes to look strait into mine with severe clarity.

" how-"

"so what's your choice?" asked the blonde.

"huh?" I fumbled for understanding.

" the way we see it, you have a choice to make!" chimed in the redhead to the right of the blonde. She had white scales speckled with red, and pale, colorless eyes that stood in contrast with her well-tanned skin.

"choice?"

"wait for him to come back-' started the brown-haired mermaid. Wait for Jack…stay behind and wait for Jack.

" follow him-" continued the blonde. I could try and follow him to the fountain of youth, but I had no way of doing so. Hell, I had no way of leaving this island.

"or go your own way and let fate bring you together again." finished the redhead.

Since when do children see more than I do?

"fate an take a long time….." I whispered.

"not-ah as long as you dink" replied a smooth, airy, accented voice from behind me. I whipped my head around to find a woman, with feet, behind me. Excited laughs and murmurs burst among the mermaids in the spring. The woman standing there was no stranger to me.

"Tia Dalma?" I gasped in disbelief.

" my dearest Bella, so far have you come." I gaped at her. I had seen her years ago, I had been to her swamp with Jack, I still didn't know what we had been there for. A soft voice behind me caught my attention.

"Calypso…my goddess."

" do not bow, my children." Tia waved them away, smiling at me. Tia Dalma was Calypso?

"what-how-when…." I scrambled to my feet.

She laughed at me.

"come, child, you have a choice to make."

**4. **fate.

I listened to her story in silent, dumbstruck amazement as we walked across the island.. Tia was Calypso, freed now from her human bonds, to rule the sea's once more.

"so why are ye here?" I asked.

" why else, but for you?"

"why for me?"

"do you not want me here?"

"no-yes I do!" I stuttered.

"den here I am."

"Tia…Calypso-"

"for you, I am Tia."

"Tia, what should I do?"

" your going to have to be more clear on dat, child."

" Jack wants immortality, and I just don't know what to do, I was suppose to bring him back to Teague, but…. Why does love hurt so much?"

" it's in it's nature."

"that's not helpful." she laughed.

"so choose, child. Do you follow de one you love? Or do you wait for him? Or do you go on?"

"I… Jack will get immortality." I stated.

"yes?"

I sighed. "I love him. I want to be with him, but I don't want to be waitin' for him to be with me."

"him already give you him heart. With you is already were him be."

"then is he waitin' for me?"

" you already be with him. So what is your choice?"

"your going to help me?"

"while you're still here to be helped."

"what's that suppose to mean?"

"your hand, Bella." I lifted it to her and she pulled off the seaweed, sniffing it and tossing it away before rubbing the ointment away from my wound. She glanced at me with her storm-filled eyes before holding my arm in a vise-like grip and shoving my sleeve up. I gasped. The swelling was gone but the discoloration was worse then ever, my veins looked black beneath my skin. Odd thing was, I didn't even feel it. Any of it.

"child…." she crooned.

"what?" I demanded, sweat prickling down my neck in apprehension.

"the blood be toxic in your veins." she murmured.

"can't you fix it! I thought the medicine was suppose to help!"

"de ointment helped, yes. But it only dulled de pain so you would not suffer."

"wh-wha-whats the point then! You're a goddess, can't you fix it?" I asked fervently.

" it comes at a price, child."

"what price?" I was afraid I already knew. I had seen the fates of those who died at sea. Both of which were ultimately what I feared.

" you feared following him who you love into forever. Forever is de only choice now."

" you can stop me from dying…but you can only do so to an extent… I can either die now or live forever." I whispered hoarsely.

" yes, child."

We walked onto the white beach in silence as it burned through my mind. I stood on the hot sand and clutched the pendant. Her eyes lit up at the action.

"so…would I become a mermaid? Or what?"

"is a mermaid what you wish to be?"

"…no."

"then choose, child." we kept walking towards the water as I thought this over. Everything that had happened since I left shipwreck cove had been adding up to this moment, this choice. What would I do with forever? Sail the sea's, one grand adventure after the other? Settle down with Jack? No…there is no settling down with Jack, as long as he's conscious, he never stops moving. I looks out over those endless waves and pondered forever.

My rum bottle sat in the sand, a few yards away. I walked over and picked it up.

What would I do?

"Calypso?"

"child?"

"I have an idea that may suit your fancy."

"and said idea would be?"

" My forever."

/

I climbed up the worn rope ladder with new-found ease when a hand appeared in front of me. I looked up and grabbed it with a grin.

"I told you to die slow." he reminded me as he pulled me up.

"yeah, I remembered. And by the way, dying slow hurts like hell."

"welcome aboard, Bella." he laughed. Him and the rest of the crew were dripping wet, as usual, the ship still freeing itself of water from it's latest dive.

"Elizabeth sends her love, Captain Turner." I reported.

"does she now?" Will replied.

"yes, I imagine she'll do it quite often now that I'm around."

"why's that?"

" well, because I'm the Messenger of the Caribbean, mate, now and forever."


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue.**

Now immortal, Captain Jack Sparrow sat at the helm of the black pearl, a grin on his face and a gleam in his eye.

"and what it be that has ye in such a fine mood, Jack?" asked Barbossa as he fed a peanut to Jack the monkey.

"I have an unyielding need to undertake my next adventure quite immediately."

"and why be that?"

"because she's already far enough ahead."

In his hand was a rum bottle, and inside the rum bottle was a message:

'_I'll never leave you behind, if you'll never stay behind.'_

_now and forever is already mine, Jack. you need to catch up._

_~ till fate brings us together again, your love, Bella._

_~P.S. Will sends his regards._


End file.
